YMATA season 2
by Akylae
Summary: Head-canon second season. 10 episodes. Will Scotty make it? Will Jamie and Raj get inside? Will Sutton and Ariel ruin everything? Who is in the crate? Why is the monkey evil? Will Larson and Samuel obey Sutton now that they're inside? Find out.
1. Previously

_**Previously...**_

Paula and Dave wait in front of a church in a wedding dress and three-piece suit respectively. Celine comes over in nun's robes.

Celine (happy): "God came to me. She was wonderful. There is nothing to be scared of. Oh, I am so happy."

Dave (grinning): "Bit bonkers and emotionally vulnerable. Perfect woman."

Paula frowns at him.

* * *

Paula and Dave stand in front of a priest.

Priest: "Bla, bla, bla; You may kiss the bride."

Paula and Dave lean in for a kiss. Frankie runs down the aisle and pulls them apart.

Frankie: "Hurry!"

* * *

Frankie and Celine sit in the back of a car.

Frankie: "Why aren't you scared?"

Celine: "There is nothing to be scared of. We will all wake up in heaven and I am going to be with Jude again."

Frankie: "Jude doesn't want to see you. He wants you to take care of the baby in your tummy."

* * *

Ariel drives Layla.

Ariel: "I love you. And I know we can make this work."

Layla: "Ariel, I'd rather die."

Layla crashes the car, knocks him out, flees.

* * *

Jamie and family stand by a broken bridge.

Jamie: "You - Thames - get out of my way!"

Jamie falls on his knees, his family stares at the river.

* * *

Gaines and Scotty are on a plane.

Scotty: "I don't wanna go in that bunker."

Gaines: "Me neither. But you said you'd be with me at the end. Right?"

* * *

Spike sits in a seat, in the wreckage of a plane, in the middle of a meadow. He holds his clasped hands up. There's a long 'spike' going through them. Larson pulls it out.

* * *

Gaines is pinned under rubble. Scotty is unconscious next to him. Fire is approaching them. Leanne walks over with a fire extinguisher and puts it out, drops the extinguisher.

Leanne (to Gaines): "I'm changing. So you can _suck_ it."

Gaines nods.

Leanne wipes her brow, covering the swastika tattoo with ash, moves the rubble off Gaines.

Leanne: "Now go help your wife."

* * *

Leanne holds a gun to Larson's head.

Larson: "Why 'r' you so hot 'n' bothered to bring Rhonda 'n' her family to that bunker, hm?"

* * *

Gaines leans Scotty against a crate.

Gaines: "I'm doing this because I love you. I hope some day you'll forgive me."

* * *

Sutton comes to Scotty.

Sutton: "I know you must be suspicious of me, but there's always two sides to every story."

Scotty (wincing): "Okay. Thing is, your monkey is kinda sticking its finger in my wound."

* * *

Crate shakes behind Scotty. Scotty startles, looks over his shoulder.

Woman-in-crate: "Don't trust the monkey!"

* * *

Gaines and Samuel try to shut the bunker door, can't.

Gaines: "It's no use. They're jammed."

Leanne points at a truck.

Leanne: "Someone ram it with the truck might do it."

Rhonda: "But how will the driver get inside?"

Leanne: "They won't. They'd be making a sacrifice."

Raj: "I'll go. I'm dying anyway."

* * *

Jamie enters the bunker after his family. Leanne sees him, takes Gaines' gun, aims at Jamie.

Leanne (pissed): "Ariel! You left me to die."

Jamie holds his hands up.

Paula: "He's not Ariel; he is the son of God."

Jamie: "I'm Jamie."

Leanne: "Well, I'm going to shoot you, Jamie."

Jamie: "I'd rather you didn't. And I'm sure we're all going to get to know each other really well."

Door slams.

Jamie: "Given how, you know, we're stuck together."

* * *

Raj sits against the van. Jamie, naked, crawls towards him and a manhole by the van.

Jamie: "I'm the guy who was helping you. He hit my head. Took my clothes. You have to let me in."

Raj: "It's too late."

Jamie: "But I'm Jamie. The real Jamie."

* * *

Suton is on the bunker balcony, looking down on everyone. Samuel comes over.

Sutton: "They're all here."

Samuel: "But now there's too many of them."

Sutton: "We'll get rid of the distractions."

 _ **And now the conclusion...**_


	2. Episode 01 - Who goes there?

Gaines squats next to Scotty by the big crate, looks at the screen.

TV announcer: "One minute now; one minute."

Gaines: "Here we go..."

Gaines looks at Leanne. Leanne, in chains, holds a gun aimed at Ariel-as-Jamie. Gaines looks around, spots a toolbox on a shelf. He gets up, opens the box, spots a hacksaw, takes it. He walks up to Leanne, saw slung on one shoulder.

Gaines: "Give me my gun back and I'll get those off you."

Leanne (grim): "No can do, general. You don't know Ariel."

Gaines: "We've run into him."

Leanne eyes Gaines quizzically, flicks between him and 'Jamie', sighs and hands him the gun. Gaines 'holsters' the gun under his belt, starts hacking away at her handcuffs.

TV announcer: "It's time to brace ourselves; to say goodbye. I hope we'll meet again."

TV signal vanishes. The ground shakes. TV falls from the wall, crashes. Across the sofa, Spike holds Rhonda's hands. He glances up at the security feed from outside.

Spike (shocked): "Oh my _God_."

Spike stands up. Rhonda looks over her shoulder, twists around.

Rhonda (wide-eyed): "Oh my God, who _is_ that?"

Ariel gets up from the sofa.

Ariel (apprehensive): "It must be Ariel. He's trying to get in."

Leanne (suspicious): "I thought he was _dead_?"

Ariel: "I thought he _was_."

Ariel looks to Layla.

Ariel: "You crashed the car, _right_?"

Layla pulls Frankie closer to her and nods. Gaines drops the saw, pulls his gun and trains it on Ariel.

Gaines: "You didn't say she crashed the car, you said he was dead."

Ariel: "I just assumed..."

Leanne picks up the saw.

Leanne (glaring): "Ass-you-me _this_."

Spike (bewildered): "Why is he _naked_?"

Ariel points at screen and himself.

Ariel: "He must be pretending to be me again, trying to manipulate you. This is exactly what he wants."

Frankie clutches the prosthetic leg to her chest.

Frankie: "No! You're pretending to be _him_!"

Ariel: "What? No I'm not."

Frankie: "You're not my _dad_."

Ariel: "Of course I am, Frankie."

Frankie: "You're _Ariel_. Grampa _told_ me."

Gaines: "Who's grampa?"

Celine: "Jude, my husband."

Gaines: "Husband?"

Celine: "He died. ... Frankie speaks the truth. _He_ told her I was pregnant. It is why I checked."

Celine holds the pregnancy stick up. Gaines closes his eyes.

Gaines: " _How_ did your dead husband tell her you were pregnant?"

Celine: "From heaven, as God spoke to me. Oh, I was very drunk."

Gaines opens his eyes.

Gaines (muttering): "I believe you were."

Ariel: "Officer. ... Gaines, right?"

Gaines: "U-uh."

Ariel: "You can't take them seriously. They're in _shock_."

Paula: "Jamie, you _parted the Thames_."

Gaines (frowning): "He _what_?"

Ariel (dumbstruck): "I-"

Layla squints at him.

Dave (to Ariel): "That _was_ you, mate. We all crossed over."

Gaines has a 'wait-what' face, shakes his head, focuses on Ariel.

Gaines: "What were you doing in Moscow?"

Ariel: "Nothing! I've never been there. I've never left Slough in my life."

Dave: "You went to look for Layla."

Ariel: "Not in _Russia_."

Dave: "You wanted to. Almost did."

Ariel: "That's _not_ the same."

Dave: "We went all over the country. Found Mary in Scotland."

Ariel: "Scotland is not Moscow! Look, I know where we went, we blew up his house."

Dave hesitates.

Ariel: "I'm not a globetrotter, alright."

Layla: "We went to the Canaries for our honeymoon."

Ariel: "We went to _France_." (fake hurt) "You don't believe me either?"

Dave (to Layla): "Would he know where you went?"

Layla: "He would."

Ariel: "I don't _believe_ this! You're assuming I'm _him_!"

Layla shrugs.

Layla: "Less damage if I'm wrong."

Ariel is speechless.

Leanne (to Ariel): "Your scar is different."

Ariel: "What?"

Ariel looks from Gaines to Larson, waves at Leanne.

Ariel: "You're not actually going to shoot me because some Nazi thinks my scar changed shape?"

Paula (realizing): "Your winky; show me your winky."

Ariel (incredulous): "Wha-?"

Paula (insistent): "You have a mole on your winky - show it to me."

Ariel (indignant): "I'm not showing you my-"

Paula: "I'm your mum, Jamie, I already saw it. Now, show me."

Ariel: "This is preposterous!"

Gaines (commanding): "Shut up and pull your pants down!"

Layla covers Frankie's eyes.

Layla (quietly): "No peeking."

Ariel turns away, slips his pants to his knees. Frankie peeks at his bum. Paula leans aside and takes a look.

Paula (whispering): "You're not Jamie..." (dismayed) "You're not Jamie!"

Leanne (smirking): "I _knew_ it!"

Suttton (fuming): "Larson, _shoot_ him!"

Larson cocks her gun.

Larson: "With pleasure."

Celine: "No!"

Larson: "Why not?"

Celine: "No killing. Please."

Larson hesitates.

Gaines (to Ariel): "Pull your pants up and put your hands behind your back. _Now_."

Ariel obeys. Gaines looks around, stops at Samuel.

Gaines: "You. Got any duck tape here?"

Samuel: "Ah, yes. Yes, we do."

Gaines: "Then _bring_ it."

Samuel brings the tape. Gaines tips his head to Leanne. Samuel gives it to Leanne. Leanne tapes Ariel's hands together.

Leanne: "I oughta fix you, you- You know, I think I might."

Leanne walks in front of Ariel and knees him in the balls. Ariel drops to his knees, keening. Larson lowers her gun slack at her side. Gaines holsters his. Leanne walks over between Rhonda and Gaines.

Leanne (smiling): "That felt _real_ good."

Gaines: "Spike, what's going on outside?"

Spike: "He got into the manhole. Dad closed the cover. Then it went white."

Rhonda sobs. Spike hugs her. Gaines looks over people.

Gaines: "Anyone knows where that leads?"

Larson: "The manor's sewage pipe."

Gaines: "Is there a way to get in there?"

Larson (from balcony): "Come with me."

Larson jogs down the stairs and turns down a hallway. Gaines strides after her.

Scotty (from behind the couch): "Don't breathe the smoke!"

Samuel runs off in the other direction, runs back with the first aid kit, runs after Larson and Gaines. Larson opens a hatch. Gaines goes in. Jamie's family fills the hallway. Gaines climbs back, gasping, hauling an unconscious Jamie.

Larson: "Aw, Christ. He's not breathing."

Samuel gives her an air pump. Larson covers Jamies's face and pumps. Samuel feels for Jamie's pulse. He takes an injection and stabs Jamie in the heart. Jamie gasps, breaking into a coughing fit.

Larson: "He's alive!"

Ariel (from atrium): "No! You can't be alive! How are you still alive!? Why won't you die!? Just die already!"

Paula: "'e can't die, stupid! 'e's the Messiah!"

Gaines drags himself to Scotty's side, panting, squats next to him.

Gaines (apologetic): "Scotty, I'm so sorry I dragged you into this freak-show. These people are _insane_."

Scotty: "Yeah..."

Gaines (pleading): "Don't leave me here. Not with them."

Scotty: "Okay."

Gaines (nervous hope): "Okay?"

Scotty: "Rhonda and Spike, they'll need us."

Gaines: "Yeah. They will."

Scotty: "Treat Spike first, okay?"

Gaines (smiles): "Sure, buddy. "

Gaines gets Scotty out of the jacket. Scotty winces. Gaines rolls the jacket up and places it over Scotty's wound.

Gaines: "Hold it."

Scotty presses the jacket against the wound with one hand, the other slack in his lap. Gaines takes off his uniform coat, drapes it around Scotty's shoulders, sits next to him and leans on the crate. He wraps an arm around Scotty and holds Scotty's hand on the jacket with his other hand. Scotty rests his head on Gaines' shoulder.

Woman-in-crate: "Get me out!"

Gaines startles. Scotty snorts.

Scotty (mock nonchalance): "Oh, right. Apparently they've got a woman in a crate."

Gaines leans his head back, closes his eyes.

Gaines (resigned): "Of course they do."

Scotty: "Also, the monkey is evil and should not be trusted."

Gaines: "Right."

Woman-in-crate: "I can't hold it in anymore! Let me out or I'll stink this place up!"

Larson strides over with a crowbar. Gaines and Scotty look up, watch Larson remove the lid. Woman climbs out. She looks like like an older Rhonda, with crow's feet and black hair peppered with grays.

Woman (wild-eyed): "Bathroom!?"

Larson nods toward a door. Woman runs off. Larson walks away. Paula and Dave come over.

Paula: "There you are."

Paula squats next to Scotty, points at the blood-stained jacket in their hands.

Paula: "Let me see that."

Gaines (gruff): " _Why_?"

Paula: "I'm a _nurse_ , all right? Now let me see."

Gaines lifts the jacket. Scotty pulls up the hem of his t-shirt.

Paula: "That doesn't look too good." (to Scotty) "Let's get you to the doctor, shall we?"

Scotty: "Spike first."

Paula: " _He_ can wait. _You_ can't."

Scotty (defiant): "Well I _will_."

Dave: "I wouldn't fight her if I were you."

Gaines: "Is that how you lost the eye?"

Dave (firm): "Don't insult my wife, all right?"

Gaines looks surprised.

Dave: "If you must know, it was Ariel."

Gaines: "Right. Apologies."

Dave (to Scotty): "Come on, mate."

Scotty (salty): "I'm not your mate."

Gaines (pleading): "Scotty, you've been bleeding for hours."

Scotty: "Fine, but I'm gonna be mad at you later."

Gaines and Paula smirk and share a look.

Scotty (annoyed): "Why are you smiling?"

Gaines (happy): "You'll have a later."

Scotty glares at Gaines but lets them get him upright. Dave takes Scotty's other arm. Paula leads them to medical. Gaines and Dave sit Scotty on a bed. Dave moves to Paula's side. Paula takes his hand. Dave smiles. They lean in for a kiss, hesitate.

Samuel: "Miss Winton, please prepare the sedative."

Paula: "Oh, right." (to Dave) "Sorry."

Dave: "No worries, love. I'll go see our boy, yeah?"

Paula smiles at him, starts measuring out the drug. Dave leaves.

Gaines helps Scotty out of his t-shirt. Scotty winces, lies down. Paula hands Samuel an injection. Samuel gives it to Scotty. Scotty gets drowsy. Gaines squeezes his arm.

Gaines: "I'll look around. See what we're dealing with."

Samuel glances sideways at Gaines.

Gaines: "Hang on, okay?"

Scotty nods, drifts off. Paula moves Gaines aside. She and Samuel get to work.

 _ **To be continued...**_


	3. Episode 02 - Houston, we have a problem

Samuel operates on Scotty. Paula assists. Gaines looks on for a moment, leaves medical. Rhonda and Spike sit on the sofa, silent. Rhonda holds his poorly-bandaged hands in hers. Celine and Frankie stand by the stairs to the balcony. Woman from the crate sneaks up to Celine.

Woman: "Pst!"

Celine turns to her.

Celine: "Oh, hello."

Woman (whispering): "God really spoke to you?"

Celine: "She did."

Woman (shifty eyes): "I hear voices too."

Celine (curious): "Who?"

Woman: "I don't know. But they warn me. Of witchcraft. Like my mother."

Celine: "Your mother?"

Woman: "She killed my father."

Celine: "So you are the prisoner's sister?"

Gaines overhears it, slips behind the stairs and listens in on their conversation.

Woman: "No. Jude's. Was."

Celine (warmly): "Then you are family. ... Sorry, I did not hear your name."

Woman: "Julia."

Celine: "It is nice to meet you, Julia. I am Celine. I was Jude's wife, but we were married only a little while."

Celine rubs Frankie's arm.

Celine: "This is his granddaughter, Frankie."

Frankie: "Hello."

Julia (curt): "Hi."

Celine: "Do not worry, you are safe with us."

Julia harrumphs.

Gaines leaves the women, opens the door Larson pointed at and sees a locker room with a shower, toilet and sink. He closes the door, opens another. Ariel is sitting on the floor in the middle of the room, surrounded by shelves full of stuff.

Ariel (impatient): "When will you untie me?"

Gaines ignores Ariel and inspects the shelves.

Ariel (indignant): "You can't keep me like this forever. I can't eat like this. I can't even go to the loo."

Gaines shuts the door, approaches Celine.

Gaines (blunt): "You insisted we keep Ariel alive; you get to spoon feed him and wipe is ass."

Gaines goes down another hallway. Celine sighs.

Celine (dejected): "So. It is like sister Sofia. Only he will not be so warm. Or wise."

Gaines opens another door, sees a master bedroom with a king-size bed. He opens another room with two single beds. The third room has three double-decker beds. Jamie lies in the middle one, under a sheet, surrounded by Dave and Layla. They turn to the door. Layla points at Gaines.

Layla: "You're that General from the video, aren't you?"

Gaines (cautious): "I am."

Layla: "What did you mean, the future of humanity is secure?"

Gaines: "Scotty and I built a bunker. Mt Genesis. It'll run for a century, until the ash clears."

Jamie: " _A hundred years_? How are we going to survive a hundred years _down here_?"

Gaines: "We can't. Not like this. We'll have to recreate Mt Genesis."

Layla: "How do we do that?"

Gaines: "Scavenge the surface. Improvise."

Dave: "Wait a sec - on the video - you said the president is dead."

Gaines: "U-huh."

Dave: "You killed him, didn't you?"

Gaines: "Yeah."

Jamie: " _Why_?"

Gaines: "The bunker was for our best and brightest women and, uh, sperm."

Layla's, Jamie's and Dave's brows rise simultaneously.

Gaines (unfazed): "He wanted to turn it into a harem. They'd be inbred before it opened."

Dave: "Huh. That actually makes sense."

Gaines (not caring): "Glad you agree. Excuse me."

Gaines returns to the atrium, looks around for other passages. Rhonda gets up from the sofa, walks up to him.

Rhonda (earnest): "Thank you. For everything."

Gaines (tense): "I didn't do it for you, I did it for Scotty."

Rhonda: "Well I'm grateful anyway."

Gaines nods, turns away, strides off. Rhonda jogs after him.

Rhonda: "Where are you going?"

Gaines (defensive): "Somewhere I can be alone."

Rhonda: "You shouldn't be."

Gaines stops, pinches his lips.

Gaines (hurt): "He chose you."

Rhonda: "What?"

Gaines turns.

Gaines: "We had _one_ thing; _one_ purpose. He convinced me not to start a family so we wouldn't have a conflict of interest in case we needed the bunker. And then when the time came; when the president decided to take a _shit_ on _everything_ we built; he just dropped it all and ran off to save _you_. Family. ... I don't blame him. You _harassed_ him. You _and_ Spike. You have any idea how _miserable_ he was? He couldn't sleep; started doubting his own plan. I had to keep him from falling apart 'n' then I had to leave him to pull it off. You made him get involved. He couldn't just stand aside to launch Savior; he had to _sell you out_. You _broke_ him."

Rhonda (torn): "Ariel was after Spike. What was I supposed to do?"

Gaines gets in her face.

Gaines (blunt): "Turn yourself in."

Rhonda stares with her mouth open.

Gaines: "Come clean. Tell the cops what his plan was. They'd've found Spike _for_ you; pardoned you for helping catch the White Horse."

Rhonda: "But Spike-"

Gaines: "Didn't hurt anyone. NSA would have recruited him. But he wanted to stick it to 'the man'. Like _Ariel_. The guy who _held a gun to his head_."

Rhonda goes wide-eyed, stares at the floor, dismayed.

Gaines: " _Scotty_ is 'the man'. _He_ saved your asses. And now he's lying there with a _hole in his side_."

Rhonda (guilty): "I'm sorry."

Gaines (shaking head): "I don't care." (shrugs) "He makes it, you 'n' I, we're fine. If he doesn't..."

Gaines' eyes water. He walks away. Rhonda drifts back to Spike. Frankie breaks from Celine, runs to the bunks, passes Dave on the way out, comes to the door left ajar, peeks in. Inside, Jamie and Layla are kissing. Jamie 'pitches a tent' for a second.

Layla (smiling): "You are _definitely_ not Ariel."

Jamie (confused): "What? How-" (panic) "He didn't-"

Layla (smirking): "He couldn't."

Jamie sighs.

Jamie: "Oh, thank God."

Frankie opens the door, runs to her parents.

Frankie (smiling): "Daddy!"

Jamie (smiling): "Hi, sweety."

Layla strokes her hair.

Frankie (proud): "I helped catch Ariel. He was pretending to be you but I knew he wasn't and I told everyone."

Jamie (serious): "Really?"

Frankie nods.

Jamie (happy): "That's great. Thank you." (to Layla) "Why Frankie?"

Layla: "Francine. Our honeymoon."

Jamie (surprised): "Oh." (happy) "I love it."

He tussles Frankie's hair.

* * *

Outside, Celine opens the door to the other room. Gaines is sitting on the side of a bed, elbows on knees, fist-in-hand over his mouth, staring through the other bed.

Celine: "Do you want to talk?"

Gaines: "No thank you."

Celine: "It helps."

Gaines sighs, leans back against the wall, stares at nothing.

Gaines: " ... That should've been me."

Celine: "Why do you think so?"

Gaines: "Scotty's a saint; me, I'm just the necessary evil. ... I don't even know how many people I've killed. By the end it was just report estimates. ... But if I took a bullet for someone it would've been even. And I would've taken one for him. ... Instead he takes mine." (at her) "Happy?"

Celine: "... I will pray for him."

Gaines nods. Celine leaves the room, walks down the hall. Frankie catches up with her.

Frankie: "Can I ask you a question?"

Celine (kindly): "Of course."

Frankie: "When dad kissed mum, his winky twitched."

Celine goes wide-eyed.

Frankie: "Why is that?"

Celine (flustered): "Ah, yes, well, you see, sometimes when daddy is with mommy he gets... excited."

Frankie (focused): "Like a dog wagging its tail?"

Celine (relieved): "Exactly!"

Frankie (disappointed): "Oh. ... Thanks."

Celine (gentle): "Of course."

Frankie runs off. Celine sighs.

* * *

In medical, Samuel is sitting on a wheeled stool, dressing Spike's wound. Rhonda stands by Spike's side, rubbing her arms. Scotty is unconscious on the bed, hooked to an IV. Paula inspects the IV and checks his pressure. Leanne leans against the wall in one corner and watches Scotty. Sutton sits in an armchair in the other corner and watches both Scotty and Spike.

Leanne (at Scotty): "He gon' be alright?"

Paula: "He should."

Rhonda (to Leanne): "I thought you decided you don't like men?"

Leanne: "I don't. But them two don't really count, do they."

Rhonda and Spike snort. Paula and Samuel look at each other. Sutton scoffs.

Sutton (frustrated): "Why do the handsome ones all decide to be dead ends?"

Rhonda (annoyed): "Shut up."

Samuel finishes dressing Spike's wounds.

Samuel: "Aaand done."

Spike: "Thanks, doc."

Rhonda wraps an arm around Spike.

Rhonda (to Samuel): "Thank you; thank you so much."

Rhonda leads Spike out, waves Leanne over. Leanne follows them. Paula leaves after them, goes down the hallway, finds Layla.

Paula: "Lemme see your hands."

Layla holds them out. Paula turns them over, feels over the bones.

Paula (professional): "Nothing's broken."

Laya (uncertain): "Are we going to be like this from now on?"

Paula sighs, faces Layla.

Paula (stern): "I was angry at you because you left. Because I was afraid you'd get him to forgive you and vanish again. But if what he said is true, if you took off to protect Frankie... I'd do that too. ... You two are good for each other. That's why you hurt him so much. But you have nowhere to go now, do you?"

Layla: "I suppose not. ... So. Truce?"

Paula: "Truce."

Paula leaves Layla, goes down the hall, peers in the first room, then the second. Gaines looks up.

Paula (warm): "You can see your soldier now."

Gaines lets out a breath, leaves the room. Paula goes in the third room. Gaines heads for medical, enters. Inside, Sutton and Samuel stop talking.

Gaines: "Ma'am; doctor."

Sutton (to Samuel): "We'll finish our little chat later, hm?"

Samuel (nervous): "Of course."

Sutton leaves.

Gaines (to Samuel): "Problem?"

Samuel: "No, no problem. ... Right, ah. I'll leave you two alone, then."

Samuel leaves. Gaines sees him out, wheels the stool to the bedside, sits next to Scotty and takes his hand. Scotty suddenly opens his eyes, fully alert, glances around the room.

Gaines (amused): "Someone 's been playing spy."

Scotty (whispering): "We have a problem."

Gaines leans closer.

Gaines (muttering): "Make that two."

Scotty (surprised): "You too?"

Gaines: "You first."

Scotty: "My mother didn't invite us to save us, she only wants to save _herself_. She needs transfusions. It's rent. Anyone who can't pay up will be thrown out."

Gaines: "Shit. ... Okay. ... I'll handle it."

Scotty: "What did _you_ find?"

Gaines: "There not enough anything here. They brought a dozen champagne bottles and no water filters. I found ammo. They plan to raid survivors."

Scotty: "They don't know about the smog and dust."

Gaines: "No; they don't. ... There's one more thing. I counted _ten_ beds."

Scotty: "Larson said she came for Spike, Rhonda and me. She never mentioned you or Raj. My mother planned for blood relatives only. Who exactly is in here?"

Gaines: "Your mother, her doctor and enforcer, the five of us, Ariel, his twin - Jamie, their wife - Moscow girl, their kid, the guy's mother, and his step-dad-slash-friend. The nun is his step-grandmother on his father's side. And she's pregnant. And the woman from the crate is his aunt. Scotty, they're a _soap opera_. I tried to make a mental map of their family tree and it came out _spaghetti_."

Scotty chuckles, turns serious.

Scotty: "So they're related. But how are they related to my mother?"

Gaines: "I don't know."

Scotty (to himself): "Sixteen people, eleven relatives including the baby." (to Gaines) "We need to save them."

Gaines: "Yeah. And ourselves. ... You make this place permanent; I'll take care of your mother. Okay?"

Scotty nods.

* * *

In the atrium, Leanne sits alone on the sofa. Frankie walks up to her.

Frankie (frowning): "What's that on your forehead?"

Leanne (sighs): "Something bad."

Frankie: "Then why did you draw it?

Leanne (looks away): "'cos I was stupid." (looks at Frankie) "Never get a tatoo, kid."

Frankie: "Okay."

Layla: "Frankie, what did I tell you about strangers?"

Leanne (to Layla): "Don't worry; I aint gonna eat her."

Layla: "I know." (to Frankie) "She bothers people."

Frankie grins.

Layla: "Go see what dad is doing."

Frankie nods, runs off. Layla pulls out a safety pin from her pocket.

Layla: "Let me get you out of those."

Leanne quirks a brow.

Leanne: "Why you wanna help _me_?"

Lalya: "Well first off, you kicked Ariel in the nuts, so that's always a great first impression."

Lenane smirks.

Layla: ".And second, if the general trusts you, I guess he has a reason. Hands please."

Leanne holds her hands out. Lalya starts picking the locks.

Layla: "So what's the story? You and the general I mean."

Leanne: "He pulled me outta death row and I pulled him out of a plane wreck. Of course there was a lotta yellin' in between."

Layla: "Of course."

Leanne: "But I was having second thoughts about this-" (points to tattoo) "...before he showed up."

Lalya: "Why did he break you out?"

Leanne: "They came for Rhonda. On account of her brother beein' his wife."

Layla: "Wife?"

Leanne: "Well he aint the one wearing the pants."

Layla (smirking): "Now I'm picturing him in a dress."

Leanne (smirking): "Oh I got one better. Saw a real man in a dress. With _flowers_."

Lalya: "Real man?"

Leanne: "Yeah. Beard, shotgun 'n' everythin'." (serious) "I think he said he was a patriot. ... I really was stupid, wasn't I?"

Layla: "You want to talk stupid? I ran off with Ariel and married him."

Leanne: "Hey this aint a contest, girl. ... But you'd win."

Lalya chuckles. Leanne puts her feet on the coffee table so Layla can work on the ankles.

Layla: "Why were you in jail?"

Leanne (ashamed): "I messed up a girl like you."

Layla (confused): "So they put you on death row?"

Leanne: "For that? No, I- ... Ariel left me to die, right? Well my best girl Rhonda came back for me. But my no good husband wanted to turn her in for the reward, on account of her hackin' the government, only she was coverin' up for that brat of hers. Anyway, I let her go so he turned me in for helping her."

Layla: "To lousy husbands then."

Leanne: "Amen."

Lalya stands up.

Layla: "There you go."

Leanne sways her feet, grins.

Leanne (smiling): "Thanks girl; you a real peach."

Layla (smiling): "Don't worry about the tattoo. I don't think anyone cares now."

 _ **To be continued...**_


	4. Episode 03 - Et tu?

Scotty sits in the middle of the sofa, waiting. behind him, Julia and Celine are chatting by the stairs. Jamie, Layla and Frankie stand on the other side of the hallway. Rhonda and Spike come down the stairs and over to Scotty.

Rhonda: "Hi."

Scotty: "Hey."

Rhonda sits next to Scotty. Spike sits half-ass on an armrest by his mother.

Rhonda (hesitant): "Listen, um, I wanted to apologize for guilt-tripping you before."

Scotty (realizing): "You talked to Arnold."

Rhonda (ashamed): "Yeah. And he's right. I mean you were working on Savior for Pete's sake and I said it wasn't important."

Scotty: "You didn't know."

Rhonda: "Well, I knew where you worked. You said you job was crazy and no one else was working because of the comet. I should have read between the lines, but I was so worried about Spike, and now..." (guilty) "What if I'm the reason Savior failed?"

Scotty (disturbed): "Rhonda, no."

Rhonda: "Why not? I mean we almost broke you guys up. You were a mess."

Scotty: "Yeah, but I also caught a bug in the source code because I went to jail for you."

Rhnda: "Well maybe you'd've caught whatever went wrong if I hadn't bugged you so much."

Scotty: "We didn't miss anything. The craft landed. The nuke went off. ... Rhonda, look. It wasn't enough because part of the blast was wasted on breaking off chunks of the comet. ... Savior was always a lottery. We just weren't lucky. You didn't doom the world, okay?"

Rhonda: "Okay. ... But I'm sorry I was an idiot. And Spike has something to say too, right Spike?"

Rhonda gives Spike a pointed look. Spike stares at his hands.

Spike: "Uncle Scotty... I'm sorry I called you a coward. ... I didn't know what to do. It was my fault mom was in jail and I couldn't do anything to fix it."

Scotty: "Oh, wow. He must have given you a real ass-chewing."

Rhonda: "Yeah."

Scotty: "It's okay." (to Spike) "And for future reference you should have manned up and owned it."

Rhonda and Spike snort. Scotty frowns at them.

Rhonda: "Just something Leanne said. Forget about it."

Gaines: "Forget about what?"

Gaines walks over, sits on the other side of Scotty. Sutton comes into the atrium.

Sutton: "Oh good, you're all here."

She comes to stand in front of the coffee table. Rhonda glares at her, Scotty is indifferent, Gaines is weary and the Brits are curious.

Sutton: "Gather round, everyone; time to meet your relatives."

The Brits line up behind the sofa. Sutton waves Julia over.

Sutton: "Come here, dear."

Julia does, reluctant. Sutton waves at the sofa.

Sutton: "These are Rhonda and Scotty, my children from the second marriage."

Scotty (stumped): "Second? You were married before dad?"

Sutton (annoyed): "Yes but _he_ killed himself."

Julia (seething): "You made him do it."

Sutton (insulted): "I did no such thing."

Julia: "You _did_. With your hexes and potions, you, you _witch_."

Gaines tips his head to Scotty's.

Gaines (muttering): "I'm gonna take it as drugs and suggestion."

Scotty nods.

Sutton: "Rhonda, Spike. This is my daughter Julia. Never mind her blathering."

Rhonda: "You mean she's our _sister_? Oh my God, I have a sister? I always wanted a big sister!"

Rhonda leaps from the sofa, rounds the coffee table, side-steps Sutton and hugs Julie. Julie just stands there. Rhonda pulls way, holds Julie by the arms and glances at their mother.

Rhonda: "You hate her too, _right_?"

Julia: " _God_ , yes."

Rhonda: "Good. We'll get along great, sis." (squees)

Scotty turns to Gaines, glances at Jamie.

Scotty: "You said she's his aunt."

Gaines (nodding): "Yeah. The girl's grandfather was her brother."

Scotty looks down.

Scotty (sad): "I had a brother..."

Gaines puts a hand on his shoulder. Scotty jerks his head back up.

Scotty: "Wait."

He twists around.

Scotty (to Jamie): "If Jude was your father that means you and Ariel are our nephews."

Jamie (awkward): "I suppose we are."

Scotty turns to Spike.

Scotty (incredulous): "Ariel abducted his own cousin."

Jamie: "And nice."

He holds Frankie closer.

Frankie: "I helped mom and dad stop him. With my sick."

She grins. Scotty blinks.

Scotty: "Really?"

Farnkie (nodding): "M-hm."

Scotty: "I took him down with a baseball bat."

Layla (to Frankie): "That's why you always hit things." (to Scotty) "It's in the family."

Scotty and Frankie grin at each other.

Rhonda: "And _twins_."

Spike: "And hacking."

Scotty sits up. Gaines helps him stand. Scotty steps toward Julia. Julia steps back.

Julia (panicked): "Stay away from me."

Scotty (confused): "Why?"

Julia: "Evil. You're evil too. Don't touch me. Everyone keep away from him."

Julia runs off. Everybody turns to each other, confused. On the balcony above them, Samuel sneaks off, turns down a passage and enters storage.

Ariel: "Come to feed me, doctor?"

Samuel: "No. The nun will be taking care of you. I'm here for your blood."

Ariel: "I thought granny didn't _want_ my blood. Or does she find it hard to get her way now that Larson isn't the only one around with a gun? Soldier threw a wrench into her well oiled machine, hm?"

Samuel: "She _doesn't_ want your blood, she wants _me_."

Ariel: "Oh _does_ she? Didn't expect _that_ , did you doctor?"

Samuel: "I did actually. But like everyone else, I was putting my faith in Savior."

Ariel: "And like everyone else, the soldier's lover-boy failed you."

Samuel: "What?"

Ariel: "That's right, _Scotty_ was in charge of the mission. Only the mission was a lie. Always was. They're liars, doctor. They can't be trusted."

Samuel: "Well it doesn't matter now, does it? Sutton wants you dead and she wants to get in my pants. If I give her your blood her liver will fail and we'll _both_ be better off."

Ariel: "I like the way you think, doctor. Take as much as you need. After all, it'll be easy to pass my weakness off as hunger, seeing how nobody bothers to _feed_ _me_!"

Samuel: "I'll tell the nun to bring you something. Standard practice after a transfusion after all."

Samuel pulls an empty blood bag, tube and needle from his lab pockets, and inserts an IV into Ariel's arm. Once the bag is filled, Samuel pockets everything and leaves storage. He looks for Celine, finds her with Dave.

Samuel: "Sister..."

Celine: "Celine. How can I help you, doctor?"

Samuel: "Our prisoner needs to be fed."

Celine (disappointed): "Of course."

Samuel heads off to medical.

Dave (to Celine): "I'll come with. That bloke is trouble."

Dave points to his eye. Celine nods. Dave grabs a french key from the tool box. Celine brings the bed pan from medical.

* * *

In storage, Ariel sits on the floor, squirming back into his pants. Dave stands above him, french key over one shoulder, free hand in his pocket. Celine puts the bed pan away.

Ariel: "This is humiliating."

Celine opens a can of beans, crouches in front of him, holds a spoonful in front of his mouth.

Ariel (irate): "I'm not doing this, I'm a grown man."

Dave: "It's either this or nothing. Your choice."

Ariel: "Honestly, what could I do with a spoon?"

Dave: "I don't know, take an eye out?"

Ariel glares at him.

Celine: "Open wide."

Ariel scowls at the spoon.

Dave: "Do as your mum says."

Ariel stares at him.

Ariel (bewildered): "What did you say?"

Dave (grinning): "She's your step-mum."

Ariel stares at Celine, mouth agape. Celine shoves the spoon in his mouth.

Dave (to Celine): "He's like your practice baby."

* * *

In the atrium, Frankie sits on the sofa, humming a song and swinging her feet. Gaines walks up to her.

Gaines: "Hi, Frankie."

Frankie: "Hello."

Gaines: "Mind if I sit here?"

Frankie shakes her head. Gaines sits on the corner of the coffee table, fist-in-hand in his lap.

Gaines: "Can I ask you something?"

Frankie nods.

Gaines (curious): " _How_ did you help with your sick?"

Frankie plays with her costume.

Frankie: "When Ariel took me I didn't want to eat my veggies. I screamed so he gave me lots of sweets. I get a tummy ache when I eat too many sweets. Mom and dad came for me but Ariel made dad put a bomb on his head."

Gaines is shocked, covers it quickly.

Frankie: "But I made sick on Ariel so he couldn't hurt dad, and then mom sprayed him with pepper and he ran away."

Gaines clams, nods, puts in approval.

Gaines (impressed): "That was smart, turning your weakness into an asset."

Frankie (frowning): "What's an asset?"

Gaines: "Something you can use to get what you want."

Frankie: "Like screaming? I screamed to get sweets."

Gaines: "... The army and police have- they use noise to make people do what they want. Screaming is the same. But usually there are better way to get what you want than screaming."

Frankie nods. Gaines smiles.

Gaines: "You'll go far, kid."

Frankie (frowning): "Where will I go?"

Gaines: "I meant to say you will be successful."

Frankie: "What's successful?"

Gaines: "It's when you get what you want."

Frankie: "Oh. Then why did you just say I'll go far?"

Gaines: "It's a figure of speech."

Frankie opens her mouth.

Gaines: "Its when you say something similar- ... something like what you mean."

Frankie (frustrated): "Grownups never say what they want to say."

Gaines nods.

Gaines: "You're something- You are a very smart young lady."

Frankie beams. Gaines gets up, walks to Scotty, who is sitting on the edge of the crate.

Scotty (smirking): "Thrashed by a six year old, general?"

Gaines glares at him.

Scotty: "You should've seen Spike at her age."

* * *

On the Balcony, Sutton approaches Larson.

Sutton: "Assemble everyone, dear. Time to collect."

Larson nods, goes around and brings everyone except Ariel to the atrium. The Americans are on one side, the Brits on the other. Sutton stands in the middle, in front of the sofa.

Sutton (sweetly): "Hello everyone. I hope you like your accommodations. Sadly, I had a little accident a few years back and now I have a medical condition. No need to pity me, it's nothing regular transfusions can't handle. I was hoping you would be grateful for your new home and help your dear old granny out."

Gaines and Scotty share a look.

Scotty: "What if we can't?"

Sutton: "Don't worry dear, you'll heal up."

Gaines steps forward.

Gaines: "I'll do it."

Sutton: "Oh, aren't you a trooper. Family only, dear."

Gaines: "So I'm free and clear? Or does Scotty have to cover both of us?"

Sutton freezes for a moment. People notice, tense up. Sutton stares at Gaines, gives a fake smile.

Sutton: "Neither, dear. It's perfectly voluntary."

Scotty: "Spike and I have lost too much blood. Frankie is too young. Rhonda and Julia are pre-menpause, they're susceptible to anemia. That leaves Jamie and Ariel."

Sutton (fuming): "As much as I'd like to suck the life out of that thug, he's got hepatitis."

Jamie looks over his family.

Jamie: "All right. Looks like I'm first."

Jamie stares at Scotty. Scotty stares back.

Samuel (to Jamie): "I just need to do some tests. Make sure everything is in order."

Jamie: "Right."

Samuel leads Jamie toward medical. Gaines and Scotty share a look. Gaines glances at the bathroom. Scotty nods slightly. Gaines helps Scotty to the bathroom. Scotty sits on the toilet lid.

Scotty: "We need to move soon."

Gaines: "I can finish it right now. Sleeper hold on Larson; choke hold on Sutton. Five minutes, no noise."

Scotty: "No."

Gaines: "Scotty, it's only been two days. There's no way we can meet her needs."

Scotty: "We need to put this to a vote. We can still agree to provide what we can if it helps. Delay the progress of her disease."

Gaines: "She'll never agree to that, she has Larson."

Scotty: "We have you."

Gaines huffs.

Gaines: "My dear Scotty - all grown up. Don't know if I should be proud or terrified."  
Scotty smirks.

Gaines: "Okay. We gotta leave or we'll be suspicious."

Scotty: "Right."

* * *

In medical, Jamie sits on the bed and holds a cotton wad in the crook of one elbow. Samuel comes over.

Samuel: "Your blood is clean. We can do it right away."

Jamie nods, lies down on the bed. Samuel inserts a needle in Jamie's other arm. He does an inventory of his stock while the bag fills up, then removes the needle from Jamie's arm and covers the puncture with cotton. Jamie holds it. Samuel takes the blood bag to the mini fridge.

Samuel: "Tell Sutton to come in."

Jamie: "Course."

Jamie leaves. Samuel writes Jamie's name on the bag with Ariel's blood. Sutton enters, lies down on the bed. Samuel hooks Sutton up to the blood bag.

* * *

Sutton strides out of medical.

Sutton: "Let's _celebrate_! Larson, bring the champagne! Doctor, get the glasses. The real ones, not the plastic crap."

Samuel (smirks): "Right away."

Samuel returns with a tray of glasses and goes around the room.

Samuel (embarrassed): "Indulge her, please."

People take the glasses. Larson brings a bottle in each hand. Sutton takes one, pops the cork, goes around pouring drinks for everyone.

Sutton: "A toast! ... To _surviving_!"

Everyone mutters along and sips. Sutton finishes her glass.

Sutton (smirks): "I'll have another if you don't have anything against it, doctor."

Samuel (smiles): "Not at all."

People stand around, silent and nervous, drink to calm down. Gaines holds his glass, doesn't drink, watches Sutton and Samuel, waiting for crap to start.

Sutton: "Doctor, I don't feel that well."

Samuel (fake concern): "You're red in the face. It's alcohol poisoning."

Sutton: "But I've only had three."

Samuel (indifferent): "You're liver isn't processing the alcohol. It's shutting down. You'll be jaundiced soon."

Sutton (angry): "What did you do to me?"

Gaines leaves his glass on a shelf.

Samuel: "I gave you a transfusion. From Ariel."

Sutton: "You- Why!?"

Samuel: "Because you wouldn't take 'no' for an answer, that's why."

Sutton: "Larson, shoot him!"

Larson pulls her gun on Samuel. Gaines pulls his on Larson.

Gaines: " _Don't_."

Larson glaces at Gaines.

Gaines: "Put the gun down."

Sutton: "Shoot Ariel, too!"

Larson doesn't move.

Gaines: "Why are you on her side? You're in the bunker. She played her cards."

Larson: "Maybe she has an ace up her sleeve."

Gaines: "I've scouted the bunker; she doesn't have aces - she doesn't have _sleeves_."

Everyone is on edge. Behind Larson, Scotty is trying to grab the prosthetic leg but failing. Frankie takes the leg and gives it to Scotty. Gaines bunches his jaw.

Sutton: "And the _nun_!"

Everyone is stunned. Dave steps in front of Celine. Larson hesitates.

Sutton: " _She_ wanted to keep him around!"

Gaines: "How many people will you kill on her whim?" (realizing) "You know there's not enough food."

People gasp and whisper among each other.

Gaines: "Larson, Scotty can fix this, okay? We've done this before. But he can't help you if she bleeds him dry."

People look at Scotty with hope, at Larson with fear. Larson fidgets.

Samuel squints at Gaines, flicks between him and Scotty, faces Larson.

Samuel: "Forget about them. I'm a doctor, you'll need me eventually. She's just a parasite. And she'll be dead soon."

Larson: "Because you poisoned her. Why should I trust you to treat me?"

Samuel: "Because you don't want to _rape_ me."

Sutton (offended): "I don't want to rape you, doctor. We would be _lovers_!"

Samuel: " _Lovers_? Who would ever want to be _your_ lover? Nobody _loves_ you. Not even your own _family_."

Sutton: "Of course they love-"

Sutton looks around. Everyone looks back with fear or loathing.

Sutton: "...me."

Sutton is stunned. Larson glances at Gaines.

Larson: "Can he really fix this?"

Gaines: "If he doesn't we're just as dead as you."

Larson: "I live longer with her."

Gaines: "So you'll kill him, then she'll die, then what? You'll pick us off one by one or take everyone out in one go?"

Larson: "And what happens when we run out of water, hm? The more people the shorter it'll last."

Scotty (waving the leg like a pointer): "Dialysis! I saw a dialysis machine in medical."

Larson: "What about it?"

Scotty: "It filters urea from blood."

Larson: "So?"

Scotty: "So we use it to filter urea from urine. Recycle the water instead of flushing it."

Gaines (grinning): "Scotty, you're a genius."

Larson: "We can't filter that much water through it."

Dave: "So I'll adapt it."

People eye him questioningly.

Dave: "What, I'm a plumber. ... I finished school, yeah?"

Jamie: "He's quite a handy-man." (to Paula) "Why'd you think I paid his rent all these years."

Larson: "Running it all day will burn through our fuel."

Scotty: "We'll dim the lights."

Spike: "I can do that."

Larson: "And food?"

Scotty: "An adult can go three weeks without it. The smog will dissolve before that. There's sixteen of us for ten beds. We just need to cut rations by a third. Once we can go out, we scavenge."

Layla: "What about Frankie and Celine?"

Leanne: "I say we take it from Ariel."

Scotty: " _No_." (waves his palm down) "No. The rest of us get sixty percent instead of sixty six." (shakes his head) "Nobody has to starve."

Larson (angry): "Why _not_ let him starve? Molby is dead."

Gaines: "Who's Molby?"

Samuel (at Sutton): "Her other guard."

Larson (defiant): "My _husband_."

Sutton: "I didn't know you-"

Larson (frustrated): "It was none of your business."

Gaines and Scotty share a glance.

Larson (hesitant): "We met on the job and became friends. ... One night we went to a pub and the next mornin' we woke up in the same bed. We realized that's what marriage is; partners and friends that sleep together. ... If we made sure she lived, we'd get to live as well. ... I went to get your family, he went to get Jamie's."

Jamie gulps.

Larson (sad): "He didn't come back." (remorseful) "We should've left him in your trunk."

Gaines (realizing): " _You_ took him."

Larson nods.

Scotty (gently): "Okay, Larson. If we start running short on anything, we'll cut off Ariel."

Celine: "You will pick who lives and who does not?"

Scotty swallows.

Scotty: "I already did. Ariel first and then by age; youngest last." (sighs) "Look, this is all hypothetical, okay? We can stretch the food and we'll recycle water."

Jamie: "What about that drug they were testing; for vitamin D?"

Gaines glares at him. Scotty grabs his head.

Scotty: "Okay. Um, well, we need UV light, right?"

People nod and mumble in agreement. Scotty thinks, points to Samuel.

Scotty: "You! You have it. That purple light box where you sterilized the surgery kit."

Samuel (frantic nodding): "I do; I do!"

Larson lowers her gun. Samuel sighs. Sutton drifts off down the hall in a daze. Rhonda empties her glass in one long chug. Gaines holsters his gun, walks up to Larson, holds his hand out. Larson hands over her gun. Gaines walks to Rhonda, holds the gun out.

Gaines: "Put it somewhere safe."

Rhonda nods and takes it, walks away.

Scotty gives Frankie the leg back. Frankie turns to Layla with a proud grin. Layla holds her tight. Paula follows to Samuel to medical.

Paula (impressed): "I like how you handled Sutton, doctor."

Samuel (incredulous): "Really?"

Paula: "Course. And if you hadn't I would have. No one messes with _my_ family."

Samuel (nervous): "Thanks for the warning."

Paula: "Oh, _you_ don't have to worry."

Samuel (relieved): "Glad to hear it."

* * *

In the atrium, Larson sits alone in the middle of the sofa. Rhonda comes back, looks at Leanne by the stairs and glances at Larson. They surround the sofa and sit down, flanking Larson, staring into space. Larson glares at the coffee table.

Leanne: "Me and big Todd were supposed to live through this together too."

Leanne glances at Larson and meets her gaze, looks away.

Larson stares off into space too.

 _ **To be continued...**_


	5. Episode 04 - Devil inside

Layla enters storage to get food.

Ariel: "Hello babe."

Layla: "Don't call me babe."

Ariel: "Come to see your man in jail?" (lewd) "A little conjugal visit?"

Layla (dangerous smile): "Now that you mention it, I'd very much like to shaft you."

Ariel (excited): "Well aren't you kinky, Hawkwind.

Layla bunches her jaw.

Ariel: "Oh, did I hit a nerve? You _are_ Hawkwind. And you are still _my_ wife."

Layla (defiant): "I'm not your anything."

Ariel (amused): "So, still pretending to be Layla then?"

Layla: "I'm not pretending."

Ariel: "You made Layla up, remember. She's just a role you played in my little game of Doofus. Someone to seduce Jamie and then dump him; get his hopes up and crush them. And you did it brilliantly, even if you needed a little push with the last bit."

Layla leans over him.

Layla: "Hawkwind was a stupid girl who thought she could play with people's lives for fun. She got on that elevator and she never came out."

Ariel (frustrated): "Just tell me one thing. How did he win you over? What does he have that I don't?"

Layla straightens.

Layla: "It's not what he has but what he doesn't. He didn't hurt others to feel good about himself. He wasn't jealous."

Ariel (angry): "Of course he wasn't. He didn't have a crazy mother who couldn't shut up about her perfect other son who was nothing special. _His_ mum thought the world of him. She thinks he's the bloody _Messiah_."

Layla: "Well he is. He made a bloody miracle. Even before, on that elevator, he's the one who cured me of my dumb adolescent arrogance. I'm a better person for meeting him and you're the exact opposite. You ruin whatever you touch, Ariel."

Ariel is speechless. Layla shrugs.

Layla: "Maybe it is all on Mary and Paula. They say God 's supposed to be love, right?"

Ariel scoffs.

Ariel (incredulous): "You're honestly saying I'm the antichrist because I wasn't hugged enough?"

Layla: "You said it."

Ariel glares.

Layla: "Funny. I don't want to shaft you any more. I'm sorry for you."

Ariel (pissed): "Don't you _dare_ pity me!"

Layla looks around.

Layla: "I was stuck in an elevator when I got better. I hope this place does the same for you. Honestly."

Layla leaves. Ariel growls, tries to get out of his binds, can't.

* * *

In the bunks, Scotty sits in one of the beds, propped up on a pillow. Gaines comes in, sits on the edge of the bed next to it.

Gaines: "Hey, buddy."

Scotty (tired): "Hey."

Gaines (worried): "Jeez, Scotty, how can you _still_ look like crap? Did you tear the stitches?"

Scotty shakes his head.

Gaines: "I'll go get the doctor."

Gaines leaves the bunks, makes his way to the atrium. Spike is working on the lights. Gaines spots Samuel and Paula on the sofa, chatting.

Gaines: "Doctor?"

Samuel: "Yes?"

Gaines: "Scotty is pale. _Very_ pale. Like he's still bleeding."

Samuel: "Let's see what we're dealing with, then."

Samuel heads for medical. Gaines follows. In medical, Dave is working on the dialysis. Samuel reaches his desk, puts the pen light in his pocket, hooks the stethoscope around his neck. Gaines and Samuel return to the bunks. Samuel sits on the edge of Scotty's bed.

Samuel (to Scotty): "Lift your shirt."

Scotty does. Samuel peels the corner of the gauze, inspects the wound.

Samuel: "Stitches are fine."

Samuel tapes the gauze back, hooks the stethoscope in his ears, listens to Scotty's chest. Gaines stands above them, worried. Samuel frowns and removes the stethoscope from his ears, takes one of Scotty's hands, pinches a nail. It goes pale, turning pink slowly. Samuel takes the pen light.

Samuel: "Open your mouth."

Scotty does. Samuel examines his mouth, pulls away and pockets the light.

Samuel (solemn): "I'm afraid you're severely anemic. ... Like your mother."

Gaines (confused): "Is it hereditary?"

Samuel (hesitant): "No."

Gaines: "Then _how_?"

Scotty (realizing): "It's the monkey." (to Gaines) "It poked at my wound."

Gaines goes wide-eyed.

Samuel: "Ms Sutton said she got infected on a safari trip. ... I'm sorry."

Gaines storms out, runs into Larson.

Gaines (fuming): "Where's _Sutton_?"

Larson: "Still in her room."

Gaines strides towards the master bedroom. Rhonda trails him.

Gaines (to Sutton, seething): "Did you know it's a carrier when you brought it here?"

Sutton (oblivious): "I don't know what you're talking about."

Gaines (angry): "Did you _know_!?"

Rhonda (to Gaines): "What's going on?"

Gaines (pissed): "Scotty's _sick_. Her damn monkey stuck a finger _inside_ him. He caught whatever _she_ has."

Rhonda (incredulous): "You brought an _infected animal_ with you? What is _wrong_ with you!?"

Leanne shows up at the door.

Sutton: "I couldn't leave Malcolm, he's my _baby_."

Rhonda: "Your _baby_? Your _baby_!? _We_ 're your babies! Scotty is your _son_! And now he's _sick_! Because you decided to bring a stupid _monkey_ with you. A monkey with _vampire-rabies_."

Leanne: "I should've killed that thing right away."

Monkey runs in past Leanne, jumps on Rhonda's shoulder and pulls her hair, screeching. Gaines steps away and pulls his gun on it. Monkey jumps at him, hangs by his arm and bites his hand. Gaines screams and drops his gun. Leanne lunges, grabs the monkey's head and shoulders. Monkey screeches and claws her hand. Leanne hisses, wrings it's neck. Monkey falls to the ground, dead.

Sutton: "Malcolm!"

Gaines cradles his bleeding hand.

Gaines (though grit teeth): " _Shit_. _Shit!_ "

Rhonda takes Gaines by the shoulders, rushes out with him.

Rhonda: "Doctor! Doctor!"

Leanne grabs the monkey's carcass by the tail, returns to the atrium, spots Jamie, who's fiddling with his straight-jacket boiler suit.

Leanne (to Jamie): "You!"

Jamie walks up to her. Leanne shoves the carcass in his face.

Leanne: "Take it."

Jamie takes it awkwardly.

Jamie: "What am I supposed to do with _this_?"

Leanne: "Throw it in the crapper, what else? And for the life of you don't get scratched."

Leanne heads for medical. Jamie stands there, looks around.

Jamie: "Well, where's the crapper?"

Dave waves him over.

Dave: "Over here."

Dave heads for the sewage shaft. Jamie follows him. Spike follows them with a look, goes after Leanne.

Spike (to Leanne): "That was _awesome_."

Leanne rolls her eyes, enters medical. Gaines is sitting on the bed. Rhonda is beside him, holding her arms. Samuel is on the stool in front of Gaines, cleaning his wound. Samuel looks up, sees Leanne and her scratch marks.

Samuel: "Take a number."

Samuel stitches up Gaine's wound, dresses it. He stands up and waves Leanne over. She comes to stand next to Samuel. He cleans and dresses her wound. Samuel takes two plastic cups, writes their names on them in marker, fills them with water, gives them to Gaines and Leanne.

Samuel: "Don't throw them away."

Samuel shakes two pills from a bottle, holds his hand out for them.

Samuel: "Antivirals."

Gaines and Leanne take a pill each, wash it down with water.

Rhonda (worried): "Are they gonna be okay?"

Samuel: "We'll know in a few days."

Leanne is sad. Gaines is numb. Rhonda puts her hands on their shoulders.

Rhonda: "Come on, let's get out of here."

Gaines nods. Leanne mumbles in affirmative. Rhonda shoes Spike out. They leave medical. The Brits look on at them in sympathy. Gaines breaks off, heads toward the bunks. Rhonda watches him go, looks back at Leanne, squeezes her shoulder. Leanne smiles a little.

* * *

Gaines enters the bunks. Scotty sits up.

Scotty: "What happened out there?"

Gaines drifts to Scotty's bed. Scotty spots the bandage.

Scotty: "What's wrong with your hand?"

Gaines sits next to him.

Gaines (distant): "It bit me."

Scotty: "Come here..."

Scotty wraps an arm around Gaines' shoulders. Gaines hooks his hand behind Scotty's shoulder, rests his forehead on Scotty's.

Gaines (shaky voice): "You got what you wanted."

Scotty: "I don't want to. Not any more."

Gaines: "Me neither. ... Now what?"

Scotty: "They still need our help; for later. ... I'll think of something and you'll get them to execute it. Just like before."

Gaines: "What if I come down with this, too?"

Scotty (confident): "Then they'll do it by themselves."

Gaines (hopeful): "Yeah. They will."

Scotty: "I'll have to work fast. Judging by my mother, I don't have a lot of time."

Gaines: "You know what's ironic? ... I can handle a kill-shot. But dying in agony? Like Raj? Scares the crap out of me."

Scotty: "Me too."

Gaines: "... Think your mother brought sleeping pills?"

Scotty (frowns): "I don't know; why?"

Gaines: "She brought champagne. If it gets ugly..."

Scotty: "Right. ... Let's not get ahead of ourselves, okay?"

Gaines: "Okay."

Someone knocks. Gaines and Scotty pull apart.

Scotty: "Come in."

Samuel enters, closes the door behind him.

Samuel: "I still have Jamie's blood."

Scotty shakes his head.

Samuel: "Given your age, the disease should progress much slower than in Sutton. You'd only need a transfusion every few months. With regular treatment the symptoms can be avoided completely. At least kept manageable."

Scotty: "I can't force them-"

Gaines: "You won't have to. People will donate, Scotty. For you, they will."

Scotty: "You think so?"

Gaines: "You're the good guy. And they'll need your brain."

Scotty: "Yeah. ... Okay."

Samuel (to Gaines): "You too, if it comes to that."

Gaines: "Yeah."

Samuel: "What you said to Larson... it _will_ work, right? This isn't another cover-up, is it?"

Scotty: "Mt Genesis is real. We've worked on it for the last five years."

Gaines (to Scotty): "If it wasn't I wouldn't have dragged you in here. I'd sooner blow our brains out than watch us die out."

Scotty swallows thickly. Samuel clears his throat.

Samuel: "Why would we die out?"

Scotty: "A single family can't survive in the long run. Genetic implosion."

Samuel: "So we _are_ doomed?"

Gaines: "Not necessarily."

Samuel: "What do you mean?"

Gaines: "This is a cold war bunker. There are more like it around the country. We can't be the only survivors."

Scotty: "We'll need the others."

Samuel: "Right. I'll leave you alone then."

Scotty: "Thanks."

Samuel opens the door. There's a commotion outside. Gaines leaps to his feet, passes Samuel, strides out. In the atrium, Larson has her hands up. Sutton has Gaines' gun aimed at her. Gaines holds his hand out in front of Samuel and puts a finger on his own lips, sneaks off.

Sutton: "Traitor! Traitors, all of you. Ungrateful bastards. If I'm dying, I'm taking all of you with me. Starting with _you_."

Sutton cocks the gun. Gaines lunges, wraps one arm around Sutton's neck and grabs the gun with the other, tugs hard on it, twisting Sutton's hand outwards. Her grip loosens and the gun falls to the floor. Gaines kicks it sideways. Larson dives for it. Gaines lets go of Sutton's hand, slips his arm behind her nape and grabs his upper arm, pumps his muscles and puffs his chest. Sutton grabs his forearms. Her eyes go wide, flicker closed. Gaines goes down to one knee, drops her on her side. He takes her long necklace, rolls her prone, pulls her arms behind her back, then ties them together with the necklace. Larson comes over, holding his gun out.

Larson: "Don't leave it around, all right?"

Gaines takes the gun, holsters it.

Gaines: "Yes, ma'am."

Larson picks up a dazed Sutton by one forearm. Gaines grabs the other.

Larson: "Jail?"

Gaines nods sharply.

Gaines: "Tape them together."

Larson and Gaines haul Sutton to the storage room. Ariel looks up, smirks.

Ariel: "Look what the cat dragged in."

Gaines and Larson: "Shut up."

Larson and Gaines glance at each other, dump Sutton behind Ariel. Ariel looks over his shoulder. Gaines grabs a roll of duck tape, tapes Ariel and Sutton together. Larson unties the necklace, pockets it. Gaines gives her a questioning look.

Larson (shrugging): "It's a nice necklace."

Gaines glances between the two prisoners, grabs the half-torn fringe from his sleeve and removes it, then the other sleeve and strips of a pant leg.

Ariel (frowning): "What 'r' you doing?"

Gaines tears the strips of the other pant leg, knots a fringe around the mid-point. Larson takes the other half imitates him.

Gaines (to Ariel): "Open your mouth."

Ariel bites down hard and glares, defiant.

Gaines pulls his gun out, holds it casually.

Gaines: "One..."

Ariel opens his mouth. Larson gags him. Ariel glares at her. She moves to Sutton. Ariel glares at Gaines. Sutton comes around.

Sutton (groggy): "Hwa-?"

Larson gags her too. Sutton startles, looks around horrified. Gaines looks over them, heads out. Larson follows, falls in step.

Larson: "Does this mean we're a team?"

Gaines: "I don't know; are we?"

Larson: "Well you saved my life, so I guess we are."

Gaines: "Good to know. ... Do we feed her? The diseases will finish her off before a lack of food, anyway."

Larson: "Why? Save on food?"

Gaines: "That, and sister Celine has to feed her."

Larson: "Afraid she'd infect her out of spite?"

Gaines: "Pregnant, widowed nun; it'd be a civilian casualty trifecta."

Larson: "She does seem like a biter, I'll give you that."

Gaines: "Better not, then."

Larson: "I'll go tell Celine."

Gaines: "I'll tell Rhonda to get your gun back."

 _ **To be continued...**_


	6. Episode 05 - Revelations

Scotty reclines in the raised hospital bed, hooked to a blood bag. Gaines walks in.

Gaines: "Felling better?"

Scott shrugs. Gaines sits on the stool next to him.

Gaines: "I don't want to pressure you, but we just ate the last bag of cereal. Do you know what to do?"

Scotty shakes his head.

Scotty (frustrated): "Even with an air garden, there's not enough food space here to-" (eyes widen)

Gaines smirks knowingly.

Scotty (to Gaines): "That's it! Of course! ... God, I'm such an _idiot_."

Gaines (amused): "Mind telling me what it is?"

Scotty: "I've looked at this all wrong. ... I've been trying to make a smaller version of Genesis down here-" (waves ahead) "...when I should be making a bigger one out there." (waves up) "Get everyone in here. I have a plan."

Gaines nods, gets up, goes out. He comes back with a crowd. Rhonda and Spike come to stand on one side of Scotty, Gaines and Leanne on the other. The Brits line up in front. Gaines looks down on him.

Scotty: "People, I have good news, and bad news. The bad news is, we can't stay here. The good news is, we _can_ survive. To understand how, you have to know what happened when the comet hit. Originally it was going to make a head-on collision in North Atlantic. We've deflected it, so it made a low-angle fly-by over Eurasia and plowed through Northwest Pacific. This first tsunami was massive, but survivable."

Jamie: "The first? There were _more_?"

Scotty: "Two rounds more. The comet impacted the oceanic crust, rupturing it and exposing magma. Enormous amounts of molten rock came in direct contact with water, which boiled instantly. The resulting steam took up a hundred times more space, but it didn't have time to bubble up, so it displaced the surrounding water. The Pacific exploded, wiping out everything between the coast and the nearest mountain chain. The wave then passed between continents, flooding the world's lowlands. Meanwhile, the body of the comet sunk into the Hawaiian hot spot, disturbing the magma flow. All the pent-up energy in every volcano and fault-line was released in a cascade. That was the last round of tsunamis, and much smaller. The ash outside came from Iceland. The surface was drowned in toxic fumes."

People are horrified.

Scotty: "But the hills... They're old formations, geologically inactive, and with enough altitude not to be flooded. The vegetation there is still alive. So that's where we'll go."

People perk up.

Scotty: "Now the low-altitude ash already settled, and the fumes have dissolved. But Yellowstone is a super-volcano. It's caldera stretches across three states. It has ejected material into the upper atmosphere, above the rain clouds, and this ash will take a century to drift back down. In the first year, daytime will be like a full moon. Temperatures will drop. The plants will treat this like winter. They've already shed leaves. Eventually they'll all wither."

People are dejected.

Scotty: "But there there _is_ a way to survive."

People are hopeful.

Scotty: "There are only two energy sources in the universe, fission and fusion. Everything else is, well - batteries. Fusion powers the sun and fission powers the Earth's core. And that's what we need to tap into. We dig a vertical shaft and lay piping. We pump water through it to draw heat from the ground. We feed that heat into a Peltier module plugged into LEDs."

Spike looks up, surprised. Scotty smirks at him.

Scotty: "We put a car cooler on the module to dissipate the heat and pull in more. Heat passes through, light comes out. We then use that light for an indoor garden, turning bodily waste into food and water. Indefinitely."

People smile at each other. Scotty holds up his smartphone.

Scotty: "I have a copy of a folder on the data card here, called Plan B. It's everything I've been working on for the past ten years. It contains everything we need to re-build civilization, from any level. There are principles here, and there are hacks."

Spike (muttering): "The ultimate back up..."

Scotty: "To charge it we need a USB cable and an electric bike, or a regular bike with dynamo-powered lights. Bikes are important. Pedals, cranks. We can hook up anything with a motor to one. Washing machine, sewing machines, weaving machines... And Spike-"

Spike: "Hm?"

Scotty grins.

Scotty: "The first computers, the punch-card ones - those were weaving machines. Manufacturing can be hacked."

Spikes' eyes go wide.

Spike: "No way."

Scotty: "Way. ... Now, if you have heat and a fan you have an engine. The first industrial revolution. Electricity is the second. There's a lot more in here, but you'll see."

Scotty hands the phone to Spike.

Scotty: "We're lucky - we didn't feel the wave. That means it was indirect. It came from the pole, so it must have broken on Scotland and Wales. The buildings here are damaged but not destroyed. Now windows are weak spots, so most buildings flooded, their contents are useless. But the malls." (grins) "The malls are concrete boxes. If there's an underground garage there's a drain, and an air pocket."

Paula (incredulous): "Hold on. Are you saying we're going _shopping_?"

Scotty (smirking): "I am."

Jamie (tentative): "I know where the mall is."

Dave: "Mate, we all do."

Scotty: "Great. All we need now is find the nearest tall hill."

Gaines: "This was an army bunker. There should be a map of the country somewhere."

Samuel: "I saw it when I stocked the place, I think I remember where."

Gaines: "Find it."

Samuel nods, leaves.

Scotty: "Okay, so. The mall. We'll need camping and hiking gear, bottled water, non-perishable food, lamps, batteries, chargers and bikes. We leave together, equip and stock up at the mall, and head out."

Gaines: "There were a lot of bunkers like this. Chances are, we're not the only survivors. They most likely wont have a long-term plan. Our strategy is reciprocity. Anyone we run into will be invited to join us. After that, it's up to them. We _are_ armed."

Paula: "Why do we have to invite anyone?"

Scotty: "Well who are Spike and Frankie gonna be with, each other?"

Dave (disgusted): "Ewww..."

Jamie (appalled): "That's _sick_."

Scotty: "That's what I'm saying!"

Larson: "What about Ariel and Sutton?"

Celine: "We cannot leave them."

Scotty rubs his brow.

Scotty: "Okay. We'll take them with us, but they have to stay tied up. They'll have to walk."

Gaines: "Yeah. In front of us."

Scotty: "And they have to stay visible. Anyone we come across has to know they're dangerous. Rhonda, Leanne, you'll switch clothes with them. "

Leanne: "Well I aint wearin' the dress."

Rhonda looks up at her.

Rhonda: "You wouldn't fit in it anyway."

Leanne: "Lucky me."

Scotty: "You two will get new clothes at the mall anyway. We all will. We'll also need something reusable for restraints."

Dave: "You said hiking gear, yeah? Rope."

Scotty: "Good thinking. Um, right, skills. I know we have a doctor, a nurse, a nun, a soldier, a bodyguard and two engineers. Anything else?"

Jamie: "I'm a banker, if that's worth anything."

Scotty: "Someone to keep track of resources."

Jamie smiles.

Layla: "Jack of all trades?"

Scotty: "Backup."

Leanne: "Well I was a hairdresser but I think you'd appreciate my gardening more."

Rhonda holds up a lock of matted hair up, half-way to dreads.

Rhonda: " _I_ need a hairdresser."

Leanne (smirking): "I was itchin' ta do somethin' with your head all month."

Rhonda grins, the grin falters.

Rhonda: "Well I'm a librarian so... Cooking and cleaning, I guess?"

Layla (encouraging): "Frankie will need a teacher."

Rhonda smiles.

Scotty: "Okay. Not a bad set, people. ... Questions?"

Layla: "Yeah. How do we get out? The door's rammed."

Scotty looks to Gaines.

Gaines (to Jamie): "Same way you got in."

Jamie points at himself and raises a brow, looks around. Dave mouths 'crapper'.

Scotty: "Okay. I think that covers everything. Get ready for the trip, people."

They disperse. Gaines stays behind.

Gaines (smiling): "Nice work, private."

Scotty beams. Samuel returns with the map.

Samuel: "Here it is."

Scotty shifts from bed to stool, takes the map, unfolds it across the bed. Samuel and Gaines flank him. Scotty hunches over the map, pokes at Slough and looks around, rubbing under his nose. He leans back and stares through the map, pinches the base of his nose, covers his mouth, eyes watering.

Gaines: "Scotty?"

Scotty: "The nearest hill isn't tall enough to be in the clear. We need to get to Wales. That's weeks by bike. I wont make the trip."

Gaines (to Samuel): "I thought-"

Samuel: "Physical activity wears down red blood cells."

Gaines (to Scotty): "What about dialysis?"

Scotty: "Dave changed it."

Gaines: "Yeah. To work more efficiently."

Scotty: "We can't drag the machine, generator _and_ fuel with us."

Gaines: " _I_ will. _And_ you. And Spike will hack it to be pedal-powered. Or we'll refuel along the way. This can't be the only town that wasn't destroyed. "

Scotty: "Fuel goes bad. We'd hold them back. Food will be stretched out as it is."

Gaines: "We'll resupply."

Scotty: "Arnie..."

Gaines grabs Scotty's shoulder and turns him around, facing each other, takes his other shoulder.

Gaines (stern): "No. You are _not_ quitting. You don't deserve to die for what _I_ did. I won't _let_ you. I _will_ haul you. I don't care how long it takes; we'll resupply in other towns. Your relatives _will_ donate. Is that clear, private?"

Scotty: "And if you come down with it too?"

Gaines: "... Then we'll get to the mall and see them off." (softer) "Whatever happens, okay?"

Scotty rubs his eyes, nod nods repeatedly. Gaines nods firmly, straightens and puts a hand on Scotty's back, pierces Samuel with a look.

Gaines: "No one else in the bunker can know."

Samuel (nodding): "Of course. Doctor-patient confidentiality."

Samuel checks the blood bag, sees it's empty, removes the needle from Scotty's arm and replaces it with a cotton wad. He nods at the men and leaves.

Gaines: "I have to prep Ariel and Sutton."

Scotty: "Right. ... Sofa?"

Gaines: "Sure."

Gaines helps Scotty up. They leave medical. The family is assembled in the atrium, waiting. Julia creeps up to Scotty. She looks weary, sniffs him, goes wide-eyed, hugs him fiercely.

Julia (ecstatic): "You're not evil!"

Scotty jumps.

Scotty: "Whoa! Hey..."

He hugs her back.

Scotty (smiling): "I don't know what you're saying but I'm glad I don't freak you out any more."

Julia pulls away.

Julia (serious): "Don't be sorry you didn't get to know Jude. He was an ass when we were kids. Then he found God. He wouldn't know what to do with you anyway. Probably tell you to go celibate like he did; like that can fix everything."

Scotty: "Okay... That, that's oddly comforting. Thanks."

Julia nods.

Gaines (to Scotty): "I have to go."

Scotty: "Okay."

Gaines: "Rhonda; Leanne."

Rhonda and Leanne nod, head for the bathroom. Gaines heads for storage.

On the other side of the atrium, Frankie comes up to Celine.

Frankie: "Celine..."

Celine: "Yes, Frankie?"

Frankie: "What's celibate?"

Celine: "Celibate is when you decide not to get married."

Frankie: "Why would someone do that?"

Celine: "Well you have to, to be a nun or a priest."

Frankie: "But you and grampa got married."

Celine: "We did. But we decided to stop being a nun and a priest. So we didn't have to be celibate any more."

Frankie: "You're a nun now. Does that mean you're celibate again?"

Celine: "I am. I only stopped being a nun for your grampa."

Frankie: "Why would grampa tell his brother not to get married?"

Celine: "I... don't know."

Frankie: "His brother isn't a priest, is he?"

Celine: "I don't think so, no."

Frankie: "He doesn't look like a priest."

Celine: "No he doesn't."

Frankie: "Okay. Thanks."

Celine: "You're welcome."

* * *

In storage, Gaines stands at ease in front of the door, gun in one hand, down and front, other hand over it. Ariel is in front of him, turned away, no gag. putting on an orange jumpsuit.

Gaines: "Hands on your head."

Ariel obeys. Gaines holds the gun at his side, steps aside, takes Ariel's clothes with his other hand.

Gaines: "Out."

Ariel passes Gaines, leaves the bunks. Gaines follows him, hands the clothes to Larson. Larson heads for the bathroom, knocks. Door opens a fraction. Leanne peers out. Larson hands her the clothes. Leanne takes them, closes the door. Larson returns to the atrium. Ariel and Sutton stand side by side in orange overalls. Gaines finishes taping them together by one ankle, gets up. Leanne joins everyone. Gaines hands her the tape. Ariel frowns.

Ariel: "Why'd you-"

Leanne: "In case you talk too much."

Ariel shuts his mouth. Gaines flicks between Ariel and Sutton, then Rhonda and Leanne. He turns to Scotty, who's standing by Rhonda on his own, looking better.

Gaines: "Wanna swap clothes?"

Scotty frowns.

Gaines: "I take the fatigues; you take the suit; we leave this place as us."

Scotty smirks, heads for the sleeping quarters. Gaines falls in step.

Gaines (happy): "You don't look like crap any more."

Scotty snorts.

Scotty: "No, yeah; I feel better too."

Gaines shuts the door after them.

Gaines: "Transfusion helped?"

Scotty: "And the wound doesn't hurt any more."

Scotty takes off his shirt with ease, looks down on the bandage. A corner pealed off. Skin is showing. Scotty peeks. There's no wound. Scotty takes the bandage off. There's no scar. Scotty and Gaines stare at Scotty's side, at each other. Gaines opens the door.

Gaines: "Doctor!"

Samuel and Paula rush in, see Scotty and freeze, frown. A crowd appears at the door.

Scotty: "How?"

Samuel: "I- I don't know. We removed the bullet and sewed you up. I gave you Jamie's blood, but other than that..."

Paula: "Well why are you surprised then? Of course it healed. It's _Jamie's_ blood. I told ya 'es the Messiah."

Jamie: "I'm _not_."

Dave: "Mate, you ordered a river to get out of your way and it _did_."

Celine, Layla and Frankie nod. Spike, Rhonda, Leanne and Gaines frown. Scotty stares wide-eyed.

Scotty (incredulous): "That- that really _happened_?"

Jamie: "Well yes, but-"

Gaines (forced calm): "Please tell me you tried to deflect the comet."

Jamie: "What? Of course not. I-..."

Jamie freezes, makes an 'oh-shit' face. Gaines strides past Scotty and Samuel, picks Jamie up by the collar, shoves him into the wall and pins an elbow in his throat. Jamie gasps and clutches Gaines' arms. Larson pulls her gun on Gaines.

Larson: "Don't do it, general."

Gaines doesn't notice her.

Gaines (desperate): "I _killed the president_. The man I _swore to obey_. To save us from _extinction_. We ran a conspiracy just to give us a _chance_." (angry) "And you! You could break physics _at will_ and your didn't even _try_? _Why_!?"

Scotty shuffles to Larson's side, takes the gun by the barrel, pushes it down, walks to Gaines, puts a hand on his shoulder.

Scotty: "Arnie..."

Gaines' grip on Jamie loosens. Jamie wheezes.

Scotty: "Let him go."

Gaines does. Jamie falls to his hands and knees. Dave and Layla rush to his side. Jamie coughs.

Layla: "Jamie!"

Jamie heaves.

Dave: "You all right, mate?"

Jamie nods, pants. Dave and Layla help him up, move away from Gaines. Larson holsters the gun. Gaines stares at the wall where Jamie was.

Scotty (worried): "Hey..."

Gaines turns to Scotty, chuckles. Scotty smirks. Gaines giggles, puts a fist over his mouth, barks a laugh. Scotty frowns. Gaines laughs in earnest, leans on the wall, slips to the floor. Scotty squats in front of him, takes his head.

Scotty: "You okay?"

Gaines cries with laughter, just cries.

Scotty pulls him into a hug, rubs his back, squeezes his shoulder. Gaines catches his breath.

Gaines (broken voice): "He's _real_. The nun, the girl- it's _all_ real. We were _wrong_. _Are_ we? Were we _made_ wrong? Who would _do that_?"

Scotty shrugs.

Gaines: "What was I supposed to do - be a _bystander_? Watch the world tear itself apart? Before we we even _tried_ Savior? Let him _doom_ us?" (looks up) "Scotty, the people I fought, they'd've _killed_ us. And _they_ were right? It doesn't make any _sense_."

Scotty nods, smirks. Gaines frowns at him. Scotty raises his brows and shakes his head.

Scotty: "I don't _care_."

Gaines looks down again.

Gaines: "It's real. ... I'm screwed ... Scotty, I'm _so scared_."

Scotty: "We _tried_. If you get some kind of celestial Guantanamo for it, then god's an _asshole_."

Gaines snorts, sniffs.

Scotty: "I don't plan to spend eternity singing praise to an asshole."

Gaines guffaws.

Scotty: "I mean, you helped save the Messiah. That must count for something, right?"

Gaines (calmer): "I hope so."

Scotty (solemn): "Whatever happens, _okay_?"

Gaines nods. Scotty taps his back.

Scotty: "Let' get this freak-show on the road. We can't let the savior starve."

Gaines: "Or get killed."

Scotty: "Or that."

Gaines shifts to rise. Scotty grabs his arm. They get up. Gaines turns to Jamie, clears his throat.

Gaines (bracing): "I apologize."

Jamie rubs his throat.

Jamie (hoarse): "I guess I deserved that. Just don't do it again, all right?"

Gaines: "I won't. I forgot I'm not supposed to fight for the dead."

Jamie (awkward): "Right."

Frankie walks over.

Frankie (to Gaines): "Don't worry. You'll go back to the cabin."

Gaines and Scotty stare at her. Rhonda and Spike stare at each other.

Spike (confused): "She knows about the cabin?"

Rhonda (incredulous): "How does she know about the cabin?"

Gaines snorts. Scotty shakes his head.

 _ **To be continued...**_


	7. Episode 06 - A new world

Gaines, in army fatigues, t-shirt and and boots, removes the ranks and ribbons from the uniform coat and puts them in his side pocket. Scotty, in a shirt and pants, adjusts the tie. Gaines hands him the bare coat. Scotty folds it over one arm. Gaines checks his watch.

Gaines: "Eight fifteen. Let's go."

Gaines and Scotty leave the sleeping quarters. Frankie comes up to Ariel, dragging the leg after.

Frankie (intently): "Mum says you've got issues."

Ariel: "Wha-?"

Paula strides to Frankie.

Frankie: "What are issues?"

Paula pulls her away form Ariel.

Paula: "Stay away from them, sweetie."

Gaines finds Spike by the screen.

Gaines (brows bobbing): "What's the status outside?"

Spike: "I don't know." (waves at screen) "It's just static."

Scotty: "We were flooded."

Spike: "The camera must have short-circuited."

Gaines looks thoughtful.

Scotty: "What are you thinking?"

Gaines: "Ash; water. We've got sludge out there."

Gaines walks up to Frankie, who is tapping the prosthetic leg against the floor.

Gaines: "I need to borrow the leg."

Frankie holds it out for him. Gaines takes it like a bat, marches to the shaft, leans the leg on the wall. Larson opens the shaft, shotgun on her back. Larson takes a torch form her back pocket, lights up the shaft. Gaines climbs down. The others follow. Samuel carries a bag over his shoulder. Leanne wears the roll of tape like a bracelet. Larson sends the torch and leg down to Gaines. Gaines lights the shaft for her from below. Sutton and Ariel go out last, together.

The family walks hunched through the pipe, reaches the other shaft. Gaines hands the torch back to Larson, climbs up the shaft.

Gaines: "Hand me the leg."

The family relays it up. Gaines holds the leg heel-side out, pushes the other end of the lid up. The outside is concealed in darkness. Gray goo oozes down the wall. Gaines lifts the lid up and over himself. Lid tips over and falls flat on the side by the rungs. Gaines leaves the leg on the lid, climbs out, looks up and around. The ash is like heavy cloud cover. The sun is faint like a full moon behind fog. Trees are black silhouettes on gray. Cement-like sludge covers the ground. Gaines squats by the manhole with one knee on the lid, helps the others out one by one. Again, Sutton and Ariel are last. Gaines stands in front of them.

Gaines: "Hands forward, both of you."

Ariel holds his arms out, Sutton too. Leanne tapes Ariel's wrists together, then Sutton's.

Ariel: "So, general; where are we going?"

Gaines: "That's need-to-know. You don't need to know."

Frankie comes over.

Frankie: "Can I have my leg back?"

Gaines: "Huh? Yeah. Sure."

Frankie takes the leg, frowns at Ariel.

Frankie: "You'll be sorry."

Gaines frowns at Frankie.

Ariel: "Don't push your luck, kid."

Leanne loudly pulls a bit of tape, lifts one eyebrow at him. Ariel glares at her. Frankie rejoins Layla. Jamie separates from the group, looks around the van. Dave joins him.

Dave: "Looking for the bloke who helped you?"

Jamie comes back around.

Jamie: "He couldn't have walked off."

Scotty: "Who, Rajesh? Probably got washed away."

Rhonda whimpers. Gaines sighs.

Gaines (muttering): "Found him."

Spike stand between Rhonda and the body. Jamie looks, swallows. The others gather behind him.

Leanne: "Do we bury him?"

Larson: "We can't bury everyone."

Scotty: "We can bury _him_."

Gaines: "Yeah. We can. In the bunker." (to Leanne) "Gimme a hand."

Jamie: "Wait. ... Let me try something first."

Jamie walks to the body, squats beside it.

Jamie: "Wake up, Rajesh. Come on, wake up."

Gaines looks to Scotty. Scotty shrugs. Jamie grabs Raj by the shoulders.

Jamie (shaking Raj): "Rajesh - _wake up_."

Raj groans. Spike spins around.

Spike (cautious): " _Dad_?"

Rhonda peeks around Spike. Raj shifts.

Rhonda (stunned): "Raj?"

Rhonda breaks out of Spike's hold, runs to Raj. Jamie steps aside. Spike shuffles after Rhonda. Rhonda squats by Raj.

Rhonda: "You're _alive_. You really _are_. Oh, honey, I can't believe this is happening. Are you _okay_?"

Raj blinks.

Raj: " _Rhonda_?"

Rhonda nods enthusiastically.

Raj (bewildered): "Where did you get that dress?"

Rhonda (annoyed): "Don't ask."

Raj looks from Rhonda to Spike.

Raj: "Why aren't you guys inside?"

Spike: "We were."

Rhonda: "We just came out."

Raj: "What happened? Last thing I remember is the ash and then the pain-"

His eyes go wide.

Raj: "I'm not in pain."

Rhonda: "You're _not_? You're _better_? Oh my god, that's _great_!" (to Jamie) " _Thank_ you!"

Jamie shrugs.

Jamie: "Well, he did save me _first_."

Raj: "What did you do?"

Jamie smirks, scratches his nape.

Jamie: "It sort-of turns out I have powers. I don't know why."

Paula: "What do you mean, you don't know. You are the son of-"

Jamie: "I'm _your_ son, all right mum?"

Paula: "... Right."

Jamie: "Well. ... Now that we're all fine, lets get going, shall we?"

Rhonda and Spike help Raj up. Jamie heads to the gate. His family follows, then Rhonda's - arms around each other, then Leanne and Larson. Scotty and Gaines stand in place, stare at the spot Raj left.

Scotty: "O-kay..."

Scotty shakes his head, turns around to follow the rest. Gaines blinks, turns after them, freezes.

Gaines: "Where-"

Ariel snatches his gun. Gaines spins around, reaches out. Ariel steps back out of reach, gun trained on Gaines.

Ariel "A, a, a!"

Gaines raises his hands and glances around. Sutton peeks behind the van. Larson slowly reaches for her gun. Ariel spots it.

Ariel: "Don't!"

Larson stops.

Ariel: "Put your hands on your head."

Larson does.

Ariel: "Four-eyes!"

Scotty frowns.

Ariel: "Take her weapons or your soldier gets one between the eyes."

Gaines (commanding): " _Don't_."

Ariel: "Do it!"

Gaines: "Everybody get out."

The others slowly step backwards. Scotty hesitates.

Gaines (insistent): "You too, Scotty."

Ariel: "Bring me her guns!"

Scotty (defiant): "I'm not leaving."

Gaines (unfazed): "Trust me."

Scotty's eyes widen for a split second. He nods, steps back slowly. Ariel looks worried, steps back. Gaines lowers his arms, steps closer. Ariel holds the gun straighter.

Ariel: "Back off!"

Gaines (daring): "Pull the trigger."

Ariel: "Think I can't? Oh, I can. I _did_."

Gaines takes another step. Ariel pulls the trigger. Gun clicks. Ariel is stunned.

Ariel: "Empty."

Gaines shrugs with one shoulder.

Gaines: "Spent everything in the jail-break."

Gaines grabs the gun by the barrel, tears it from Ariel.

Ariel (incredulous): "You threatened me with a useless gun?"

Gaines pistol-whips him. Ariel drops in the mud.

Gaines: "Not useless."

He holds the gun up.

Gaines: "Larson, trade."

Larson comes over. They swap guns. Gaines checks his new one, cocks it. He turns to the others and holds the gun up at ready, looks over them.

Gaines: "Show of hands; how many of you did Ariel attack?"

Dave, Jamie and Larson raise their hands.

Gaines: "Kidnapped?"

Spike and Frankie.

Gaines: "Blackmail?"

Scotty, Jamie and Layla, _and_ Sutton.

Gaines: "Left to die?"

Jamie and Leanne.

Jamie: "Twice."

Gaines: "Anything else?"

No one moves.

Gaines: "Larson, take Sutton."

Larson takes the shotgun from her shoulder, walks to the van.

Larson (to Sutton.): "Off you go, then."

Sutton ambles to the gate at gun-point.

Gaines: "Head out, I'll be right behind you."

Gaines turns to Ariel, kicks him over by the shoulder, stands above him, lifts the gun in both hands.

Celine: "Don't do it."

Gaines: "Why not? There isn't a person here he hasn't screwed over, or tried to."

Celine: "Me."

Gaines: "Because he couldn't."

Celine: "People can change."

Gaines: "Yeah. Leanne saved Scotty and me from burning to death. Ariel had plenty of chances. He wasted all of them."

Celine: "You say you do not fight for the dead. Do not fight for the past."

Gaines: "I'm not. If I leave him, he either finds us and tries this again, dies of exposure, or starves."

Celine: "Please."

Gaines: "This isn't a choice of killing or not killing him. It's a choice of him dying a quick and painless death; a slow, painful one; or killing one of us. You maybe; or your savior."

Celine: "Then we will be in heaven. The Messiah is not sent to save our bodies but our souls. If you do this, you will damn your."

Gaines: "Will? ... This isn't a dilemma. Now go."

Dave wraps an arm around Celine's shoulders, leads her away. All but Scotty head out. Scotty walks up to Gaines, puts a hand on his shoulder, watches him. Gaines aims, fires, closes his eyes, lowers the gun, sighs. Scotty squeezes his shoulder. Gaines nods shakily, holsters the gun, looks to Scotty. Scotty nods slowly. They go after the others. Outside, the city is destroyed: cars crashed into posts and fences, windows shattered, doors splintered, and every surface gray. But there are no other bodies, or sounds. The silence is oppressive. Scotty clears his throat.

Scotty: "You never meant to shoot anyone down there, did you?"

Gaines: "I told you: strategy, staying cool, scaring the crap out of people."

Scotty (frowning): "Didn't you pull it on the monkey?"

Gaines (shrugging): "Reflex."

Scotty: "About that; are you okay?"

Gaines lifts the bandaged hand, glances at it, drops it.

Gaines: "Nothing yet."

Scotty: "If you can't leave the mall, I wont either."

Gaines bunches his jaw.

Gaines: "I'll go as far as I can."

Scotty: "Okay."

At the head of the line, Celine breaks off from Dave to Julia, Paula moves from Jamie to Dave.

Paula: "Listen, Dave..."

Dave: "Oh, hello, dear."

Palua: "Look, I've seen how you treat Celine."

Dave: "There's nothing between us, dear. Honest."

Paula: "I know. But maybe there should be, yeah?"

Dave (stumped): "Huh?"

Paula: "I mean you said it yourself; outside church; that's she's your kind of woman."

Dave: "Honey-"

Paula: "Now hear me out will ya. It's been two weeks since the comet and we haven't so much as kissed."

Dave looks awkward.

Paula: "Look, it's fine that you don't want to. And really I don't either. I think it's just how soldiers would marry their nurses in war, you know? Not knowing if they'd die or not, thinking kindness was love..."

Dave: "That Florence Nightingale thing?"

Paula: "Exactly!"

Dave: "So this is what, amicable divorce? Annulment?"

Paula: "I don't think we even got married, love. The priest sort of rushed through our vows."

Dave (pointing): "Yeah, and then when we were about to kiss, Frankie ran in and dragged us away."

Paula: "You're right!"

Dave: "So I have your blessing to go after Celine?"

Paula (smiling): "Absolutely, love."

Dave: "What about you?"

Paula (looking at Samuel): "Think I'll try my chance with the doctor. He seems to like me. I mean, what are his options anyway?"

Dave ticks off on his fingers.

Dave: "He's got the kook; the one with the swastika-"

Paula: "She hates men."

Dave: "...and the one that almost shot him."

Paula: "See. I can't lose."

Dave (grinning): "Knock him dead."

Paula smiles, walks off to Samuel. Back at the end, Leanne waits up for Scotty and Gaines, one fist closed.

Leanne: "Scotty, your sister wants to talk to you."

Scotty and Gaines share a glance. Scotty hurries up ahead. Leanne takes his place by Gaines.

Leanne (friendly): "Hello, general."

Gaines (friendly): "Call me Arnold."

Leanne: "Alright, Arnold. I'd like to say something, so I'd appreciate it if you didn't yell at me like last time."

Gaines nods. Leanne looks at her closed fist.

Leanne (serious): "I know what its like to find out you've been wrong about some real big things."

Gaines: "Yeah."

Leanne: "Now, I don't know about you, but I've been baptized and everythin';"

Gaines glances at her.

Leanne (uncertain): "...so, I reckon you might need this more than I do."

Leanne stops. Gaines too. She opens her fist. In her palm is her necklace with the cross pendant. Gaines looks at it intently, at her.

Leanne: "Consider it a lucky charm. In case the devil tries to get ya, he just might run away screaming, like in them horror movies."

Gaines: "Appreciate it."

Gaines bows his head slightly. Leanne drapes it around his neck. Gaines straightens, puts it under his t-shirt. Rhonda look back after them.

Rhonda: "Hey you two! What's the hold up?"

Gaines and Leanne walk on. Rhonda waves them over.

Rhonda: "Come here you big softies."

Gaines and Leanne catch up with the other Americans. They line up, Spike between Raj and Rhonda, Scotty by his sister, Gaines between Scotty and Leanne. The mall appears in front of them, looming large, intact. At the car ramp leading down to the basement garage, Jamie walks over to Dave, plays with his ring finger.

Jamie: "You know how I cured Rajesh?"

Dave (sarcastic): "What, like five minutes ago after you resurrected him?"

Jamie: "We'll, I'd like to try fixing your eye."

Dave (smiling): "I was waiting for it, mate."

Jamie: "Really?"

Dave (arms wide): "What 'ave I got to lose?"

Jamie smiles, nods, places a hand over Dave's bandaged eye. They both close their eyes. Jamie frowns. Dave too.

Dave: "It tingles." (eyebrows shoot up) "Mate, you did it. You did it!"

Jamie pulls away. Dave peels the bandage off, blinks. His eye is fine. Dave guffaws. Jamie snickers.

The Americans reach the ramp. Dave points to his eye, grinning. The Americans smile, pat him on the shoulders. They move down the ramp. Jamie stays behind, stares at Gaines, looks up. He stares up at the sky for a moment, closes his eyes, frowns intensely. Nothing happens. Jamie opens his eyes, waits a while. Nothing. He shuffles down the slope after the others and disappears under the mall.

 _ **To be continued...**_


	8. Episode 07 - Fortress

The family walks down the access ramp to the basement garage. Faint light comes from the mall entrance. Glass is shattered in and around it. Gaines strides to the front, holds a hand up to stop the others and pulls the gun from his belt. He moves in first, gun forward. Gaines follows the light to an escalator, looks up. There's a skylight on the roof. He climbs the escalator. The atrium is dim. The stores are pitch black. Dust is everywhere. It's undistributed. No footprints on the floor or hand prints on arm rests. Gaines jogs back down and waves them in. They enter and climb inside.

Scotty: "Electronics store first. Torches and batteries. Then we go shopping."

Dave: "Down here, mate."

Dave leads them to it. Larson hands Spike the torch. Spike turns it on, enters the shop, looks around, finds the door to the storage, goes in, explores, finds the right shelf, returns with the torch in his teeth and a ton of other torches and batteries in a pouch improvised out of his hoodie. Everybody takes one, puts the batteries in, lights up.

Scotty: "Set it on minimum. They need to last." (to Spike) "Found any rechargeable ones?"

Spike: "Yeah. And charges. But we can't just plug them in."

Scotty: "Which is why you'll build us a hand-cranked charger. Or pedal-powered."

Spike: "Right."

Scotty inspects the junctions of ceilings and pillars, turns to Jamie.

Scotty: "Is there a garden center nearby? Home depot?"

Jamie: "Both. Why d' you ask?"

Scotty: "I haven't noticed any structural damage. We could stay here. It's about the size of Mt Genesis. The grocery store has rows of shelves and light fixtures. Perfect for a garden. We take seeds and soil from the garden center; drills and pipes from home depot; tools from both; raid cars for gears and batteries... We just need to dust. Don't blow; brush. "

Leanne: "I take garden center."

Dave: "I take home depot."

Layla: "I'll come with."

Gaines: "We only released the video the day before impact. Stores should still be stocked. If anything was stolen, it's luxuries. We need necessities."

Rhonda: "I'll see which perishables haven't perished yet. Make lunch."

Raj: "I'll find the dishes and silverware."

Rhonda (melting): "Aw..."

They peck a kiss.

Dave (joking): "Disgusting."

Frankie snickers.

Paula points her torch at the grocery store.

Gaines: "I'll find a camping stove and gas." (at Dave) "Outdoor store?"

Dave points the light down a hall.

Scotty: "Bookshop?"

Jamie lights a store one floor up.

Samuel (to Paula): "We should check the pharmacy."

Paula nods.

Spike thumbs behind himself.

Spike: "I'll see what else is in here."

Celine takes Frankie by the shoulder

Celine: "We will go and find the play room."

Frankie beams, bounces on the ball of her feet.

Larson: "I'll watch Sutton."

Julia: "I'll watch the door."

Scotty: "It think that's everyone."

Gaines nods, glances at Leanne, Dave and Layla.

Gaines: "You three, be back here at noon the latest. Sun due south. The rest of us, in one hour."

A dozen heads bob.

Leanne: "Can I get your gun?"

Gaines nods, gives it to her.

Layla: "Can I have the empty one? I'm good with a prop gun."

Larson shrugs, hands it to her.

Scotty: "Good luck, people."

People split up. Soon after, Gaines returns with six camping stoves, gas cans attached, three in each hand. A length of rope is coiled around his shoulder. He leaves the stoves in the center of the space, looks around, stops at Sutton - in an armchair in the corner. Gaines walks over. Sutton glares up at him. Gaines uncoils the rope, unfazed.

Gaines: "Hands forward."

Sutton holds her hands out. Gaines pulls a multi-tool from the back pocket, flicks out a blade, slices through duck tape, replaces it with rope, gives her a little slack.

Sutton squints at him. Gaines holds up the the knife.

Gaines: "Try anything funny and you die. Understood?"

Sutton nods repeatedly. Gaines nods once, folds the knife, pockets the multi-tool. Scotty walks over with an armful of books, looks between them.

Scotty: "I'll get her something to read. Help her pass the time."

He turns back, Gaines following.

Gaines (quietly): "Make it fiction. We don't want her getting any ideas."

Scotty: "I was thinking romance. "

Gaines: "Escapism is good. It'll take her mind off the situation; away from plotting escape and revenge."

Scotty: "... That too. I'll be right back."

Scotty leaves the books by the stoves.

Gaines: "We passed a police station on the way. It looked shelled but it's standing. I'll go grab whatever we could use."

Scotty: "No gun?"

Gaines: "No need."

Scotty: "Okay. ... Start with radios."

Gaines nods. They split up.

* * *

Gaines loads full sport bags in two shopping carts, piles SWAT gear on top, pushes one cart and pulls the other, leaves the police station. Clumps of ash drift in the wind. Gaines makes his way across town, to the mall, down the car ramp and into the garage.

Julia: "Who's there?"

Gaines stops.

Gaines: "It's me."

Julia: "Welcome back."

Gaines enters the basement.

Gaines: "Glad to be here."

Gaines starts unloading armor from one cart.

Gaines: "The wind is bringing in more ash."

Julia: "Is that bad?"

Gaines: "I don't know. It could be serious,or it could be nothing."

Gaines takes one bag on each shoulder.

Julia: "Need help?"

Gaines: "No, but I'd appreciate it."

Julia smiles, picks up a helmet and mask in one hand, bullet-prof vest in the other.

Julia: "Where do you want this?"

Gaines: "Just get it upstairs. I'll find the security room."

Julia: "Alright."

Gaines and Julia climb up the stairs to the atrium. Gaines finds a ring of tents under the skylight, drops the bags just outside it. Julia follows suit. They bring in more bags and armor. Scotty waits at the top of the stairs.

Scotty: "Did you find radios?"

Gaines tips his head at one bag.

Gaines: "The one on your left, front pocket."

Scotty crouches, finds six pieces. He clicks one. No noise comes.

Gaines: "They're not working."

Scotty: "I'll take them to Spike. He's set up shop in the electronics store. All ready hacked a battery charger to a bicycle."

Gaines smirks and nods.

Scotty leaves. Gaines and Julia go back for round two. When they bring everything in, Gaines glances at Sutton, who is looking over the covers but can't leaf through the pages. He squats by another bag, takes a pair of handcuffs from the side pocket and approaches her, cuffs hanging from one finger.

Gaines: "This will help."

He unties her and cuffs her loosely. Sutton rubs her wrists and squints at him, picks up a book and starts reading. Gaines walks away. Sutton glances after him for a moment, goes back to reading.

* * *

Jamie and Frankie are in the playroom. Dave and Celine enter. Dave slings an arm around Jamie.

Dave (smirking): "Son-"

Jamie rolls his eyes.

Dave: "...it kills me to tell you this but you have to know. Your mum and I decided to break up."

Jamie: "As weird as this might sound, I'm actually relived."

Dave: "You might also like to know that technically we were never hitched in the first place."

Jamie: "You weren't?"

Dave (to Frankie): "This little rascal got in the way."

Jamie looks at Frankie and ruffles her hair. Frankie squirms away but smiles.

Dave (to Jamie): "But I _am_ courting Celine."

Jamie: "You mean you'll be my step-dad on the _other_ side?"

Dave: "Step-step dad, actually." (frowns) "Does that even count?"

Jamie: "I'm not exactly sure but it feels a lot less crazy."

Dave (smiling): "I know, right?"

Frankie: "So you and Celine are boyfriend and girlfriend?"

Dave: "We sure are."

Frankie: "Does that mean you'll get married?"

Dave: "I hope so."

Frankie (to Celine): "You're not very good at celibate, are you?"

Celine blushes and Dave snorts. Jamie grins and pulls Frankie in a half-hug.

Jamie: "You're the best, kiddo."

Frankie grins.

* * *

In security, Gaines lines up his supplies and shudders. There's a knock. He looks up from his work. Scotty's at the door. He walks in with hands stuffed in pockets.

Scotty: "Busy?"

Gaines stops unpacking, blows into his hands and rubs them. Scotty frowns at him and walks over.

Scotty (concerned): "You okay?"

Gaines: "Yeah. You didn't say it'll get cold this fast."

Scotty: " _I_ don't feel it."

Scotty feels his forehead, swallows thickly.

Scotty: "You're burning."

Gaines balks.

Scotty: "Come with me."

Scotty leads Gaines to the pharmacy. Samuel and Paula stop inspecting the contents, turn to them.

Scotty (to Samuel): "He's got a fever."

Samuel grabs his bag, pulls out an analogue thermometer, hands it to Gaines. Gaines stuffs it under an armpit, sets a timer on his watch, holds his arms. Samuel pulls a pen light.

Samuel: "Open wide."

Gaines does. Samuel inspects his mouth.

Samuel: "Looks fine."

Samuel pockets the pen.

Samuel: "Are you short of breath? Lightheaded?"

Gaines shakes his head.

Samuel: "Well you're not anemic. This could be good. You're the first person I know of who's body is putting up resistance."

Gaines (hopeful): "I could beat it?"

Samuel (hedging): "It's possible. Immunity is mostly genetic. You're black. Sutton caught it in Africa."

Gaines nods, shudders. Scotty takes the coat off, covers Gaines' shoulders. Gaines pulls the coat tight around himself, paces, keeps glancing at his watch. Scotty watches him. Gaines pulls the thermometer.

Gaines (flat): "Hundred and four."

Scotty (concerned): "Isn't that dangerous?"

Samuel: "It's close. If it goes over hundred and five, we're lowering it. Right now I'd like to wait and see. Rest and drink plenty. And let me know if anything changes."

Gaines: "Yes, sir."

Samuel: I'll go check Leanne."

Samuel leaves.

Scotty (to Gaines): "Come on; I think I saw a matters store around here."

Gaines follows Scotty to a store. Scotty brushes down a random bed. Gaines sits on it.

Scotty: "I'll go get the bedding."

Gaines nods, doubles over himself, closes his eyes. Scotty comes back, dumps the bedding by Gaines. Gaines stands up, paces. Scotty brushes the corner of another bed, moves the covers there. Gaines sits on the edge of the other bed. Scotty starts making the bed. Frankie walks in.

Frankie (to Scotty): "Can I ask you a question?"

Scotty (working): "Sure."

Frankie: "Why would grampa tell you not to get married?"

Scotty: "Well, maybe he wouldn't like who I got married to."

Frankie: "You're married?"

Scotty: "I am."

Frankie: "To who?"

Gaines: "To whom. And it's me."

Frankie (surprised): "You?"

Gaines: "U-huh."

Frankie looks between them.

Frankie (frowns): "You're _weird_."

Gaines (unfazed): "Yeah. So are you."

Frankie (insulted): "I'm not weird."

Gaines (matter-of-fact): "Giraffe costume, prosthetic leg, hitting things - that's weird."

Frankie looks hurt.

Gaines: "Weird doesn't mean bad."

Frankie cheers up, frowns in focus.

Frankie: "Great grandma is bad weird."

Scotty: "You have no idea."

Gaines: "It's called being creepy."

Frankie: "Why is she creepy and we're not?"

Gaines: "Something in her head is broken."

Frankie: "Broken how?"

Gaines: "She doesn't feel bad when other people get hurt. That's why nothing stops her from hurting people to get what she wants. That's the only way people can be bad."

Frankie: "Ariel tried to hurt dad to get mom. Does that mean he was broken too?"

Gaines: "Yeah."

Frankie: "I knew they were bad."

Scotty: "You were right."

Frankie looks satisfied, then frowns.

Frankie: "Do your winkies twitch when you kiss?"

Gaines stares. Scotty blushes, chuckles.

Scotty (awkward): "Well, why do you ask?"

Frankie: "You're married. Mom and dad are married."

Scotty: "So?"

Frankie: "I saw mom and dad kiss and his twitched. And Celine says it's because he got excited."

Geines: "She's right. And so are you."

Frankie nods, runs off.

Frankie: "Bye!"

Scotty stares at Gaines. Gaines shrugs.

Gaines: "What? I should have _lied_ to her?"

Scotty: "No but maybe tell her to ask her parents?"

Gaines: "Really? Let the people frenching in sight of their kid explain _us_?"

Scotty: "I doubt they knew she was there."

Gaines: "That's supposed to be _better_? ... She walked in on them; the nun told her; she did the math. I just didn't deny it."

Scotty (resigned): "Yeah."

Gaines sheds the coat, steps out of the boots and crawls under the covers. Scotty pulls up an office chair from behind the cash register desk, dusts it, sits down.

 _ **To be continued...**_


	9. Episode 08 - Blood fever

Gaines lies under a thick comforter, curled into a ball, eyes closed. Scotty dozes in the chair by his bed. He sighs awake, rubs his eyes, leans forward. Gaines mutters unintelligibly. Scotty frowns, stands up, sits by him, rubs his shoulder through the covers.

Scotty (gentle): "Hey... How are you feeling?"

Gaines groans.

Scotty (concerned): "Arnie? ... Wake up, buddy."

Scotty shakes his shoulder, feels his forehead and goes wide-eyed.

Scotty: "DOCTOR!"

Footsteps rush over. Samuel runs in. Scotty throws him a glance.

Scotty (worried): "He's burning."

Samuel sits on the other side of Gaines and holds his head. He pulls a thermometer from his front pocket with the other hand, shakes it, sticks it in Gaines' ear. Samuel watches the line grow rapidly. It stops. He pulls the thermometer, checks the reading.

Samuel: "Hundred and six."

Scotty stares, distraught.

Samuel: "It's a cytokine storm. He's fighting too hard. His immune system is going to cook him alive."

Scotty: "There must be something you can do, right?"

Sameul: "Normally I'd just give him a pill, but he isn't completely present. I'd rather he not choke. We'll have to cool him the hard way. Find Paula. Bring water and towels."

Scotty jumps to his feet, runs out. Samuel moves around Gaines, checks under his eyelid. It's bright pink. Gaines growls and shakes his head free. Samuel takes the cover off him. Gaines curls in on himself more tightly. Scotty comes back with Paula. He carries a tub of water in his hands, she the towels.

Samuel: "Take his t-shirt off."

Scotty puts the tub on the next bed over. He sits Gaines up, gets him out of the shirt, sees the necklace and blinks. Gaines squirms and grunts. Scotty lies him back down, face up. Gaines shivers and rolls to one side. Scotty tries to roll him back. Gaines growls and shrugs him off. Scotty pins Gaines down by the shoulders with his entire weight.

Scotty: "Sorry, buddy, but you need to cool down." (to Paula) "Get me four sweat bands and rope."

Paula nods, leaves.

Samuel: "I'll be right back. Make sure he stays cold. And call me if there's a change."

Scotty: "Okay."

Samuel leaves. Gaines tries to roll and curl. Scotty holds him down. Paula returns, sweat bands in one hand and a roll of rope in the other.

Scotty: "Take over, will you."

Paula "Course."

Paula holds Gaines down. Scotty wraps the sweat bands around Gaines' wrists and ankles. Gaines opens his eyes marginally, stares unfocused right up Paula's cleavage.

Paula: "Oi! No looking."

Scotty smirks.

Scotty: "Don't worry; he's not interested."

Paula (gentle): "I know, love."

Scotty unrolls the rope.

Scotty (mutering): "Let's see if I remember any of your lessons..."

Scotty fashions four nooses, slips them over the bands and tightens the knots. He lifts the bottom of the mattress one corner at a time and threads the rope under. Paula lets Gaines go. Gaines tries to role over, can't, grunts. Scotty sits at his side, takes his forearm. Gaines stops. Paula soaks the towels in the tub, squeezes them, puts them over Gaines' forehead, along the sides of his throat, under his armpits. Gaines whines.

Scotty: "It's okay. ... I'm right here. ... You're gonna be okay. Everything's gonna be fine."

Paula pats Scotty's shoulder. Scotty nods. Paula leaves. Samuel returns with pills and ice tea, leaves them by the tub.

Samuel: "One pill when he's lucid and more as needed."

Samuel gives Scotty the thermometer. Scotty slips it in his breast pocket, nods. Samuel leaves again. Scotty leans forward, elbows on knees, buries his face in his palms. Celine appears in the door, spots the cross on Gaines.

Celine: "I though he did not believe."

Scotty straightens, looks at her, follows her gaze.

Scotty: "We don't. Didn't. Not sure if it's a matter of believing any more. ... I think it's a gift from Leanne."

Celine: "I see."

Scotty (sighing): "Look, whatever you need, I can't help you right now."

Celine: "I did not come to look for help, I came to offer it."

Scotty: "How?"

Celine: "Confession. Just in case."

Scotty snickers.

Celine (frowning): "It is not funny."

Scotty (smirking): "No, it is. You're the last person I'd expect to be preying."

Celine: "I am not preying."

Scotty: "No, you are."

Celine: "You said it yourself, it is not a matter of believing any more. Do you wish him to be, well, screwed?"

Scotty (offended): "Why would he be?"

Celine: "He killed Ariel."

Scotty: "So?"

Celine (exasperated): "We are not supposed to kill each other."

Scotty (insisting): "He did it to protect us."

Celine: "He gave his immortal soul for our mortal bodies."

Scotty: "I'd say that's pretty selfless."

Celine: "It is a bad trade."

Scotty: "Well, maybe if he were like you we'd all be happily in heaven now. And Earth would be dying with no chance of recovery."

Celine (surprised): "Why is that?"

Scotty: "The president was going to sabotage plan B. Arnold killed him."

Celine: "But we are plan B."

Scotty (chuckles): "Then it's a shit plan. I mean, we got two diseases and two psychos with us." (at Gaines) "You can't give someone an instinct and then punish them for acting on it. Well you can, but you'd be a psycho. And you'd be a psycho to torture people."

Celine: "God does not torture. He'll is prison. The damned are tormented by regret and each other."

Scotty: "Well if that's true, then we should be fine."

Celine sighs, turns to leave, passes Leanne on the way out.

Leanne: "Rhonda told me to get your ass back there. You can go willingly or I can drag you by the ear; your choice."

Scotty: "Thanks, but I'm not hungry."

Leanne: "That don't change the fact you need ta eat. ... C'mon; he 'n' I 'll keep each other company. ... Quit hoggin' 'im all ta yourself."

Scotty chuckles, nods, squeezes Gaines' hand.

Scotty: "Be right back."

Scotty gets up, heads out. Leanne taps his shoulder in passing, takes his place.

Leanne: "Nun been bugging you, Arnold? ... Funny, innit? I made a lotta mistakes but I regret pretty much all of 'em, so probably goin' upstairs, right? Thing is, aint no one waiting for me there any more. Now you guys. You don't look like big believers, 'n' you probably regret nothin'. That's not a good combination. I'd almost be worried for ya. Almost. Cos you got each other. Take care of each other. You're gonna be alright."

Rhonda walks over.

Rhonda: "You're welcome to join us."

Leanne looks over her shoulder.

Leanne: "Ah you aint goin' downstairs hon'; you're one of the nice people."

Rhonda (scoffing): "Oh, please. I took a kid hostage. Like Ariel."

Leanne: "You aint nothin' like Ariel."

Rhonda: "Well I'm more like Ariel than my brother. Or Arnold."

Leanne: "You were just coverin' for that brat of yours."

Rhonda: "Yeah..." (at Gaines) "If I knew he and Scotty were a couple, I would've taken his deal. God, Scotty, you should've told me."

Rhonda turns to Leanne, smiles.

Rhonda: "But then I wouldn't've met my best friend."

Leanne (touched): "Really?"

Rhonda: "Really. ... I though my neighbor was, but she called the cops on me. You got a death sentence 'cause you set me free. No contest there."

Leanne (smirking): "Us against the world, huh?"

Rhonda (smiling): "Thelma and Louise."

Scotty returns.

Scotty: "You do know how that movie ends, right?"

Rhonda and Leanne chuckle.

Leanne: "Yep."

Rhonda: "And we don't care."

Gaines (muttering): "Stop. Talking _._ "

Scotty (beams): "Hey!"

Leanne (smirking): "Well look at that, sleepin' beauty woke up."

Scotty: "How are you feeling?"

Gaines: "Like crap."

Scotty chuckles. Gaines twists one hand.

Gaines: "Is this a new fetish, Scotty?"

Rhonda and Leanne chuckle. Scotty blushes, unties him hastily.

Scotty (flustered): "Oh. Right. Sorry. You were a little uncooperative."

Gaines (squinting): "I think I remember that. ... You wouldn't let me sleep."

Gaines removes the dried towels, stretches. Scotty takes a pill from the bottle, opens the bottle of juice, holds both out.

Scotty: "This will help."

Gaines sits up, takes the pill and juice. He drinks greedily, hands Scotty the empty bottle.

Gaines (frowning): "I had the weirdest dream."

Scotty: "Oh?"

Gaines: "You had a fight with Celine. Full contact."

Scotty (embarrased): "More like a philosophical debate."

Gaines (squinting): "You had an argument."

Scotty nodds, turns To Rhonda.

Scotty: "Could you two go tell the doctor?"

Rhonda (kindly): "Sure."

Leanne: "Come on, lets get your hair nice and pretty. Good lord, I can't look at that crow's nest any more."

Rhonda smirks. They leave. Scotty sits on the edge of the bed, looks reluctant to talk.

Gaines: "Scotty?"

Scotty: "She said you're going to Hell."

Gaines (staring off): "I am."

Scotty is stunned.

Gaines: "I helped destroy a country, Scotty. I was _good_ at it." (hoarse) "Proud of it..."

Scotty: "You trusted your commander."

Gaines (shaking head): "I knew the reason was a lie 'n' people would get rich off it, but I thought it was the right thing to do. ..." (to Scotty) "They killed their own people." (away) "I couldn't imagine things could get worse but they did, and everything I did went to _shit_."

Gaines bunches his jaw and breathes hard. Scotty squeezes his shoulder. Gaines lies back down, rolls on his side, curls into fetal. Scotty grabs the coat from the office chair, drapes it over Gaines and spoons with him.

 _ **To be continued...**_


	10. Episode 09 - Heal thyself

Gaines stirs awake. Scotty sits up behind him and studies him.

Scooty: "Hey... How do you feel?"

Gaines: "Okay. I think."

Gaines sheds the coat, sits up. Scotty gets off the bed.

Scotty: "Hungry?"

Gaines gets to his feet.

Gaines: "Yeah. But I need a shower first."

Scotty scratches his nape.

Scotty (awkward): "Well, we don't exactly have a bathroom."

Gaines raises a brow.

Scotty: "It's not all in one place. Come, I'll show you."

Scotty walks off. Gaines follows. On the way, they walk into Samuel.

Samuel (smiling): "You're up. I was just about to check up on you."

Samuel takes his pen light, walks toward Gaines.

Samuel: "Say 'Aaa...'."

Gaines stops, opens his mouth. Samuel looks it over. Scotty sweats. Samuel pockets the light, feels Gaines' forehead.

Samuel: "Tired? Sore? Queasy?"

Gaines shakes his head.

Samuel (smirking): "Congratulations; you've beaten the virus."

Gaines lets out a breath. Scotty beams and squeezes his shoulder. Gaines smiles. Samuel looks apprehensive.

Gaines (brows raised): "Doctor?"

Samuel: "Your blood contains antibodies against the virus. I'd like to try something."

Scotty frowns, blinks.

Scotty (surprised): "You want to treat my mother."

Samuel: "That's right."

Gaines (squinting): "You infected her."

Samuel: "When she was in charge and wanted to rape me."

Scotty turns to Gaines.

Scotty (certain): "Do it."

Gaines: "Scotty?"

Scotty: "It's what we wanted, right? To eradicate disease, I mean. Get something out of all the deaths."

Gaines (callous): "The viruses 'll die with her anyway."

Scotty (firm): "Arnie."

Gaines (defiant): "You know she wouldn't do it for us, right?"

Scotty (calm): "I know."

Gaines: "So?"

Scotty (gently): "We're better than her."

Gaines sighs.

Gaines: "Yeah. We are." (to Samuel) "Okay."

Samuel: "I'll go get an injection."

Samuel strides off. A shadow moves across the floor. Gaines looks up. Someone is on the roof. The hair is Dave's.

Gaines: "What's he doing up there?"

Scotty: "Rain collection."

Gaines: "Are we running out of water?"

Scotty (shaking head): "No. No, we have years worth of resources."

Gaines (surprised): "Years?"

Scotty: "You'd be amazed how much stuff there is in a place like this."

Gaines: "So what's the rush?"

Scotty: "Well, most things here can last indefinitely, so it's better to install systems for regular use and keep the stock as a safety net."

Gaines: "So you're starting the water cycle."

Scotty nods.

Gaines: "What about waste?"

Scotty: "Same as Genesis, only cruder. Urine diluted with unfiltered water and used for irrigation. First Thames, then graywater. Filtered is for cleaning."

Gaines: "Is?"

Scotty: "Dave already built a filter in the showroom."

Scotty thumbs over his shoulder.

Scotty(grinning): "It feeds into a jacuzzi."

Gaines smirks. Scotty stuffs his hands in his pockets.

Scotty: "Rain water for drinking. Feces dried ad burnt for energy, and the ash used as fertilizer. Collection is in the toilet, but not _toilet_ toilet. You'll see."

Gaines: "Hygiene?"

Scotty: "Well we won't run out of cleaning agents any time soon, but we will use them frugally. For the long run, some urine will be turned to ammonia. Raj is turning rotting fruit into a test batch of alcohol. Leanne found sunflower seeds. The stalks will be burnt, the ash cooked with the oil to make soap. Oh, and Rhonda found flax in the health-freak section."

Gaines: "We can have textiles?"

Scotty: "Just linen. No wool or anything."

Gaines: "Right, no animals."

Scotty: "If all goes well, we won't need to leave this place a lot."

Gaines: "So we're a backup of the backup?"

Scotty: "Pretty much, yeah."

Gaines: "Food, water, fuel, soap, clothes... Sounds like you covered everything."

Scotty: "The basics. Manufacturing will take years to evolve again even knowing the steps, maybe decades."

Scotty looks nervous.

Gaines (weary): "What's the problem?"

Scotty (gulps): "The pharmacy is a one way trip. ... I have no idea where we could find medicinal plants."

Gaines (confident): "You'll figure it out."

Scotty: "Spike found e-books. They need far less energy. Everyone got their own copy of Plan B."

Gaines: "Homework."

Scotty: "Yeah. Leanne thought to use shopping carts. She brought a hundred kilos of grade-A soil from the garden center."

Gaines pouts, impressed.

Scotty: "What I'm saying is, I'm not the only one figuring things out."

Gaines: "Right."

Samuel comes over with his bag, prepares an injection and Gaines' elbow. He takes a full dose of blood, tears a bit of cotton from the make-up pad and presses it on the puncture.

Samuel: "Hold it."

Gaines does. Samuel packs up.

Samuel: "I'll get right on it."

Scotty nods. Samuel puts everything back and leaves.

Gaines (to Scotty): "So where's the bathroom?"

* * *

Gaines pours a pitcher of water over his head and shoulders, trades the pitcher for a wet sponge, squirts a drop of liquid soap on, lathers up, rinses with another pitcher, steps out of the tub, towel dries, covers himself, grabs a razor head from the refill pack, starts dry-shaving. Half-way in, someone knocks on the door.

Gaines: "Who is it?"

Scotty: "It's me. I found you some clothes."

Gaines: "Come in."

Scotty enters, leaves a pair of jeans and a t-shirt by the 'sink'.

Scotty: "You smell better."

Gaines (smirking): "Thanks."

He finishes shaving, turns away and starts dressing. Scotty scratches his nape.

Scotty: "I was thinking... Once Dave and Spike build the generator, we could set up a radio station and invite people. Handle them case-by-case as they come."

Gaines glances over his shoulder, brows high.

Gaines: "Not afraid we'll burn through the stock?"

Scotty: "Systems can be expanded. Economy of scale. We could have multiple decent-sized scavenging parties. Look for equipment in other towns. Factories."

Gaines nods, finishes dressing.

Gaines: "What's for breakfast?"

Scotty: "Stew surprise. Rhonda cooks stuff as it starts going off."

Gaines: "Makes sense."

Gaines chucks his old clothes and towel in the tub, picks it up. Scotty takes the pitchers. They head out.

* * *

In the atrium, Samuel walks up to Sutton with an injection.

Sutton (weary): "What is that?"

Samuel: "A cure, hopefully. But only for the vampirism."

Jamie overhears and perks up. Sutton stares at the needle with suspicion, at Samuel.

Sutton: "You want to finish me off."

Samuel: "What do you have to lose?"

Sutton: "However long I have left."

Samuel: "You know what happens. Shortness of breath, blindness, dementia..."

Sutton stills and goes wide-eyed.

Samuel: "You want it or not?"

Sutton nods, rolls up her sleeve. Samuel swipes her arm, gives her the serum and covers the puncture. Sutton holds the cotton.

Samuel: "You should get a mild fever in a few hours. If not..." (shrugs)

* * *

Julia comes to the atrium with a pile of pillows, scatters them on the floor in front of the tents. Larson walks up to her.

Larson: "Hello."

Julia tenses.

Larson: "Relax. ... I just wanted to apologize. ... For kidnapping you."

Julia relaxes, huffs.

Julia: "I'd be dead if you didn't. I suppose that makes it okay."

Larson nods.

Larson: "Well, I'll leave you be then."

She walks away. Julia looks after her, goes back to arranging the pillows. Raj rolls in with a loading cart. On top is a huge pot, a small tower of bowls and a pile of spoons. Rhonda ladles and hands out the stew. It's reddish-purple. Layla pours juice from a carton, Frankie hands out the mugs. People sit down to eat. Julia shuffles to make room for Larson. Scotty sits by Gaines. Gaines looks at Scotty, his own bowl, up at Sutton. He gets to his feet.

Gaines: "Larson, key."

Gaines walks to Sutton. Larson puts her bowl down and goes after him. Sutton looks up between the two of them. Larson pulls the key from her pocket. Sutton glances between it and the bowl, lifts her wrists. Larson uncuffs one hand. Gaines hands Sutton the bowl. Sutton digs in. Gaines leans on the wall next to Sutton. Larson goes back to her place. Scotty comes over carrying two bowls, hands one to Gaines, leans next to him.

Leanne: "I must have filled a hundred pots today. ... Big ones too. ... Turns out this ash is actually good for somethin'. ... If you mix it with manure."

Rhonda: "Not the time, Leanne."

Leanne looks between Spike and Dave.

Leanne: "So when are you two gonna dig that geological plant?"

Spike: "Geo- _thermal_."

Dave: "For your information, I've made a rain collector. You're welcome."

Leanne: "Well thank you." (to Spike) "What's your excuse?"

Spike: "If you have to know, I've fixed half a dozen radios."

Leanne: " _Radios_? What do we need them for?"

Gaines: "Keep in contact when we go out. Call for help if something goes wrong."

Leanne: "Well when you put it like _that_... But you two better start diggin' tomorrow. No point in plantin' anythin' before."

Spike and Dave nod as they eat. Leanne smiles.

Leanne: "Well aren't you kids nice."

Rhonda chokes. Raj slaps her on the back. The others chuckle. They continue eating in silence. As they finish, Scotty takes Gaines' and Sutton's bowls. Gaines re-cuffs Sutton. Layla passes them, wheeling the dishes away. Sutton gets out of the armchair.

Sutton: "Larson, dear, I need to freshen up."

Larson heads for the bathroom. Sutton follows. Gaines walks up to Samuel.

Gaines: "Did it work?"

Samuel: "We'll see when she comes back."

Sutton and Larson return. Sutton is winded, slumps in her chair. Samuel walks over, checks her forehead. She looks nervous.

Samuel (sympathetic): "I'm sorry."

Sutton scoffs.

Sutton: "Sorry? You decided to turn on me."

Samuel: "I wouldn't if you just left me alone."

Rhonda walks over, curious.

Rhonda: "What's going on?"

The others follow her lead, watching Sutton.

Samuel: "The disease is getting worse. "

Scotty: "What are you saying?"

Sutton: "I'll loose my sight and my mind and then I'll suffocate."

On the sides, Gaines stares at the floor, eyes wide.

Rhonda (bitter): "Good."

Scotty: " _Rhonda_."

Rhonda (to Scotty): "She killed _dad_."

Scotty: "She didn't _torture_ him."

Rhonda harrumphs. Jamie gives a little wave.

Jamie: "I'd like to give it a go."

Samuel frowns at him.

Samuel (realizing): "Oh! Right. Yes. By all means."

Samuel steps aside. Jamie steps forward, squats by Sutton, smiles awkwardly.

Jamie: "This might tingle a bit."

Sutton rolls her eyes.

Jamie places a hand on Sutton's head and closes his eyes.

Jamie: "I command you to be healed."

Sutton frowns. Her eyes go wide, then roll back. She slumps back in the chair. Jamie leaps back. Sutton starts thrashing. Samuel and Paula jump in and hold her down. Frankie hides behind Layla. People stare. Sutton stills, comes around, blinks. Samuel and Paula step away. Sutton sits up and looks about, spots Scotty and Rhonda. Her eyes tear up and her chin shakes. She bursts into tears, sobbing quietly.

Spike: "What the-"

Dave: "Bloody hell."

Frankie looks up to Layla.

Frankie (pouting): "Why can Dave say bad words?"

Layla keeps staring at Sutton.

Layla (distant): "Dave isn't a lady..."

Frankie crosses her arms and frowns.

Frankie (petulant): "'s not fair."

Laya (distant): "No it's not..."

Spike (at Sutton): "What's _wrong_ with her?"

Scotty (tilts head): "... I, think she grew a conscious?"

Rhonda frowns at Sutton, at Scotty, waves at their mother.

Rhonda: "So how do we treat her now?"

People look between themselves. Scotty turns to Gaines. Gaines looks up to face him, looks at Sutton, thinks.

Gaines: "Same. Life without parole."

Dave tilts his head and pouts in agreement. People drift back to the tents. Jamie stands in the same spot, staring between his hand and Sutton and back at his hand. Layla steps up to him and wraps an arm around his waist. She pecks a kiss to his cheek. Jamie turns to her.

Layla: "Nicely done, our lord and savior."

She rubs his side. Jamie blushes, puts his arm around her shoulders. They join Frankie, Celine and Dave who are setting up a game board between two tents. Spike, Raj, Rhonda and Leanne are two tents over, Leanne shuffling cards. Two further, Scotty is reading an e-book. Larson and Julia are off to a side, talking. Gaines ambles back from the toilet, looks around.

Gaines: "Where's our medical staff?"

The Brits look up.

Dave (smirking): "They've snuck off."

Frankie(giggling): "They're playing doctor."

Gaines keeps a blank face, nods, sits by Scotty, glances back at a tent.

Gaines: "This one 's ours?"

Scotty nods, eyes on the book. Gaines looks inside. Wide t-shirts and loose drawstring pants are folded on top of two sleeping bags which are laid over exercise mats. There's another e-book atop one shirt. He takes the reader, turns it on, skims the contents, looks up and around. Beyond the pools of torchlight, the atrium is pitch black. Gaines turns off the e-book.

Gaines: "I'm calling it a day. Good luck with research."

Scotty hums. Gaines crawls into the tent.

 _ **To be continued...**_


	11. Episode 10 - Fairy Godmothers

Complete darkness. Fabric rustles. A button clicks and a torch turns on, lighting up Gaines from below. Scotty groans behind him and rolls away. Gaines grabs his watch and checks it. It's ten. Gaines leaves the sleeping bag and tent, looks around the atrium, up at the skylight. It's opaque, mat gray. Gaines strides to the stairs, jogs up three floors, reaches the roof exit. He pulls the lever and opens the door. Blinding light floods the staircase. Gaines turns away and shuts his eyes. He waits, turns back and looks. The sky is clear. The day is sunny. Gaines gasps a laugh, steps out. He drops the torch, falls to his knees, laughs out loud. Below, the others leave their tents and look around.

Frankie (pointing up): "Look!"

People follow her gaze. Dust dances in and out of a shaft of light. They follow it up to the door, brilliant white in the darkness. They face each other, laugh and whoop, race up the stairs and rush out, pouring on the roof. Gaines kneels in the ash with hands in his lap, face up and eyes closed, smiling. The others spread around him, staring at the sky. They hug, spin each other, dance. Scotty stands behind him, tearing up and smiling.

Paula: "Everyone, go grab a broom!"

* * *

In the sun-lit atrium the family sits on cushions inside the circle of tents.

Leanne: "You know, I tried not ta think about what 'll happen to my kids, sein' how Scotty here said there aint gon' be no Sun-" (beaming) "...but now I _know_ they'll live."

Jamie (frowning): "Did they have a bunker too?"

Leanne: "Sure did. Whole town had 'em."

Gaines looks up at her, Scooty at him.

Gaines (weary): "The whole town had bunkers?"

Leanne: "Yep." (smirking) "We're survivalists."

Gaines (poker face): "Where are you from?"

Rhonda: "Tennessee."

Scotty (nervous): "O-on the Appalachians?"

Leanne: "Yep." (frowning) "Why?"

Scotty gulps.

Gaines (weary): "Please tell me they are not armed?"

Leanne (confused): "Of course they are."

Gaines and Scotty stare at each other in panic.

Leanne: " _What_?"

Gaines: "The bunker..."

Scotty stares though the floor.

Leanne: "What about it?"

Scotty (dully):"It's set to unlock when the daily average of the ambient lighting exceeds a cloudy winter solstice."

Raj: "Like right now."

Leanne: "Well, why are you freakin' out about that?"

Scotty: "Because it's on the other end of the Appalachians."

Gaines: "Your armed racists town is about to scavenge their way north until they find it. And the unarmed women inside."

The Brits look between themselves.

Scotty: "Possibly pregnant."

Celine covers her stomach. Dave wraps an arm around her shoulders. She smiles at him faintly.

Leanne (between Gaines and Scotty): "Well why the hell are they unarmed?"

Scotty: "Because we thought the comet would kill everyone else. Anyone who survived the impact and the smog would starve to death because there'd be no sunlight and no food."

Jamie stares at Scotty, at the floor. Layla glances between him and Scotty and back at him, takes his arm and rubs it.

Scotty (dejected): "We hand picked the best of humanity for the bunker. Gave them everything they'd need."

Gaines (frustrated): "We didn't need weapons; we didn't _want_ weapons."

Scotty grabs his temples. Gaines lifts his hands.

Gaines: "Shit. ... Shit!"

Scotty: "What do we do now?"

Gaines (wide-eyed): "... I don't know."

Scotty gets to his feet in slow motion. Rhonda looks up at him. He shuffles away. Gaines gets up after Scotty, watches him leave.

Rhonda (at Scotty): "Where are you going?"

Scotty doesn't respond. He reaches the end of the atrium, finds himself inside the mattress store. His hands form caws and shake, ball into fists. He breathes hard, his face red and nostrils flared.

Scotty (mad): "FUCK!"

In the atrium, the others look between themselves, at Gaines.

Gaines points at Leanne.

Gaines (tense): " _Don't. Move_."

Leanne: "All right." (to herself) "Jeez..."

A crash echoes. Gaines darts at the sound, skids to a halt at the store. The office chair is upside-down on the other side of the bed he recovered in. Scotty stands where it was, trembling and heaving, eyes red and puffy. Gaines walks up to him, footfalls soft but audible. Scotty clutches his hair, teeth grit and barred.

Scotty (crying): "Why!?"

Gaines (one-shoulder shrug): "No reason." (head-tilt) "We're just shit outa-"

Scotty (shaking head): "No. No, we _thought_ there was no reason but there is. You heard them - they have a fucking hotline to _heaven_. Celine talked to _God_. Fucking creator of the universe. Jamie can will reality into pretzels and we get _nothing_? I sell my sister out for Savior and it _fails_. You kill your commander so he wouldn't basically rape the women and-and God sends a _militia_ at them?" (pleading) " _Why_?"

Gaines steps closer and sets his hands on Scotty's shoulders.

Gaines (raw): "I don't know."

Scotty mirrors him, lines up their foreheads and noses, their eyes closed. He chuckles.

Scotty: "You know, I actually thought the comet might be a good thing, what with the soaring population and resource consumption. If we could eliminate the pathological stuff and start from scratch with the best we've got." (defeated) "But now..."

Gaines (tired): "Yeah..." (bitter) "A crap-load of miracles to make one baby, get it to a bunker wit not enough resources 'n' too much psychos. Like a million of them didn't die. But the guys trying to save the world - screw 'em. "

Celine (from entrance): "But the world _is_ saved."

Gaines and Scotty pull away and face her. The whole family is at the entrance, watching. Gaines glares at them.

Scotty (confused): "What are you saying?"

Celine: "No one is truly dead. Everyone has what they deserve."

Gaines looks to Scotty with a desperate, questioning expression.

Celine: "The women are good, yes?"

Gaines: "The best."

Scotty (smiling): "We kidnapped them and they invited us to stay."

Gaines (sad): "We should've taken the offer..."

Scotty (realizing): "Or just stayed home. If we blew them off, it'd all go to plan."

Dave: "Blew who off?"

Larson: "Me."

Spike: "Wait- _us_? You're saying you should've let mom die?"

Scotty: "Yeah. All of us. Everyone. Only the women would live but they'd be safe. And they'd restore everything."

Celine: "We can do it too. You said we have the skills."

Scotty: "No; we can't. We're _not_ plan B, okay; we have no animals. The one we had was a male and it carried a virus."

Leanne: "What's in the bunker?"

Scotty: "Everything. Seed bank; sperm bank; frozen fertilized eggs of different species; guppies, finches and mice to restart the animal kingdom; digital copy of the library of congress and the patent office; basic manufacturing..."

Celine: "It is an ark."

Gaines: "Yeah."

Leanne: "They know how to use all that?"

Scotty nods.

Leanne: "I'm goin' back."

Rhonda: "Back _where?"_

Leanne: "'merica; where else?"

Gaines and Scotty stare at her.

Leanne: "Well someone's gon' be in that bunker. Might as well be the right people."

Jamie: "How will you get there?"

Leanne: "Easy."(at Larson) "You'll fly me back."

Larson faces her.

Larson (incredulous): "Me?"

Leanne: "Why you look surprised? You're the pilot."

Larson: "The plane _crashed_."

Leanne: "So we'll take another one."

Dave (thumbs over shoulder): "Heathrow 's close."

Samuel: "Weren't all the planes destroyed?"

Gaines: "Yeah. Flooded _and_ fried."

Scotty: "Well, yeah, but... That's pipes and electronics." (to Dave and Spike) "You could fix one. Cannibalize the others for parts."

Spike: "I guess..."

Gaines: "Okay. They don't about the bunker, they won't go straight for it. They'll sacvenge, outward spiral to cover the entire area. It's hidden and out of the way, they might even miss it. This could work." (to Dave and Spike) "You could fix a plane before they get to the bunker."

Larson: "Where do I land? There's no airport in the middle of nowhere."

Gaines: "The road. Two lanes; leads almost all the way to the bunker; big enough for a small jet."

Larson: "What do we do when we get there?"

Leanne: "Find out who's in charge-"

Gaines: "The blond one. She took initiative, spoke for the others."

Scotty nods.

Leanne: "We'll tell madam president we're her special secret service forces."

Larson: "And she'll just listen to us?"

Scotty: "They've met Arnold and me. Tell them we sent you."

Gaines: "Arnold." (to Scotty) "You told them my name."

Leanne nods.

Larson (to Leanne): "What about your tattoo?"

Rajesh: "Actually-"

Everyone turns to him.

Raj: "...the swastika is a Hindu symbol. It stands for the cycle of rebirth."

Leanne: "Well will you look at that? I _was_ kinda born again. And on death row too."

Rhonda (head tilt): "You're right!" (to Raj, smiling) "How 'bout that."

Larson: "So. We fly to America, land on the road in the middle of nowhere-"

Gaines: "We know exactly where."

Larson: "...meet the women, and tell them who sent us. What then?"

Leanne: "Then we wait for my scumbag husband ta show up 'n' tell his folks it's our way or the highway."

Larson: "And if they don't agree? You can shoot at your family?"

Leanne: "No, I can't. So if they charge us, _you_ 're gonna have ta do it 'n' I'll pick off the others."

Larson: "You're sure?"

Leanne: "Like our nun said: they die, they go to heaven; they kill, they're damned."

Larson: "You do know what that means for us, don't ya?"

Leanne: "Ah, don't worry."

She smiles at Rhonda, Scotty and Gaines.

Leanne: "We'll be in good company."

Rhonda puts an arm around Larson. Larson glares at her. Julia steps up.

Julia: "I'm coming with you."

Leanne: "Pardon my french, but why the hell do we need you for?"

Julia (smiles): "To be a 'hot-line to heaven'."

Scotty blushes and rubs his nape.

Julia (to Scotty, smirking): "You'll be getting a call soon."

Scotty is distraught. Gaines frowns.

Julia (to Larson): "Wanna go for a walk? It's a nice day."

Larson: "Don't mind if I do."

Larson holds her hand out. Julia takes it. They walk away.

Rhonda: "Well I didn't see _that_ coming."

Leanne (after Larson): "Guess she goes both ways... " (to Dave and Spike) "And when are you two gon' make that power-plant?"

Spike: "We were gonna dig today but now we don't have to; we've got the sun. Good thing we didn't."

Rhonda (annoyed): "Oh you were just lucky."

Leanne: "Well whatever you're gon' do, get to it."

Dave slings and arm around Spike's shoulder.

Dave: "Come on mate, let's draw up some specks."

Dave leads him away.

Dave: "You like steam-punk?"

Spike: "Cyberpunk."

Dave scrunches his face and shakes his head.

Dave: "Nah. Pessimism is for losers."

Leanne (to Rhonda): "Wanna help me plant?"

Ronda: "Well I've got nothing better to do... Sure, why not."

They walk off too. Leanne starts humming _'Country Roads'_.

Gaines (disbelieving): "She'll be guarding Mt Genesis..."

Scotty chuckles.

Frankie studies Sutton, who is watching everything from the other side of the atrium. She frowns in focus, turns to Layla.

Frankie: "When I grow up, I'm gonna be a _witch_."

Jamie frowns.

Frankie: "But a good witch, like Hermione. She's smart, and Arnold said I'm smart too."

Layla (smiling): "You _are_."

Jamie: "Well _I_ 'm going to be healer. I allays wanted to help people."

Layla leans into his side, smiles up at him.

* * *

Scotty stands on the edge of the cabin porch, looking over the river. Gravel driveway grates under footsteps. Scotty turns toward the sound. A man in a white cassock walks across the gravel driveway.

Jude: "Hello, Scotty."

Scotty frowns.

Jude: "You're wondering who am I and how do I know your name, right?"

Scotty blinks.

Jude: "I'm your big brother."

Scotty: "Jude?"

Jude: "Nice to meet you."

Scotty (realizing): "I must be dreaming."

Jude: "More lucid than usual. It's the least traumatic way to contact people who aren't big on the supernatural."

Scotty: "That, actually makes sense."

Jude (smiles): "Glad you understand. Also, tell Arnold you weren't overlooked when He-She-It-They handed out superpowers."

Scotty (frowning): "We weren't?"

Jude (shruggs): "You didn't need any."

Scotty (surprised): "Oh."

Jude: "Your dad says high, by the way."

Scotty tears up.

Jude: "And Arnold's mom. They're both very proud of you two. And they're still looking out for you. Those little nagging voices in your heads that tell you not to be fools? That's them. Maybe they're stalking you, or maybe it's just your subconscious - whatever works for you. ... Oh and find some time for yourselves already. God knows, you've earned it."

Scotty (uncertain): "You don't have a problem with us?"

Jude (frowning): "Why should I?"

 **THE END**


End file.
